Shin Persona Evangelion
by Ultra Sonic 007
Summary: Shinji Ikari stared, bewildered by the bizarre-looking man, who gave an intrigued smile. "An interesting guest has arrived. My name is Igor. Welcome to the Velvet Room, young fool...we have important matters to discuss, you and I." (A fusion of the realms of Evangelion and Persona, where not all is as it seems.)
1. Saturday - June 6, 2015

_This is a tale of fiction._

_Any similarities to other such tales, or even to reality, are purely coincidental..._

_All characters and events and themes are doubtlessly unrelated to those that occur in fiction or otherwise..._

_Only those who agree to this statement are allowed to proceed. Do you understand?_

_...I see..._

_This is a world where mankind seeks to dominate others, even though man cannot control himself. It is a world of distortion and tragedy._

_There are those who are wish to reform the world, or at the very least, themselves...such are known as 'fools'._

_But perhaps it takes a fool to succeed where the wise have failed._

_Thou, fool...now it's time for you step forward, and face the tragedy that is man..._

xxxx

/Saturday: June 6, 2015/

On a rail line connecting to Tokyo-3, a boy of fourteen - straddling the threshold of childhood and adulthood - tried to ignore the words passing through the car.

"-another outbreak of Angel Syndrome?"

"Those poor people..."

"-what are the authorities doing? Why aren't-?"

"I heard they're finally going to deploy NERV soon..."

NERV. A word that he was tired of.

Briefly, the young boy looked at his student ID, freshly issued for his transfer to Hakone Academy. A rather unassuming portrait of a brown-haired boy with solemn blue eyes looked back at him.

**Name: SHINJI IKARI  
Birthday: June 6, 2001  
Height: 144 cm (5'1")  
Blood Type: A**

But, more importantly, there was the letter - redacted from beginning to end - that merely had a single word written over it with a thick black marker.

**COME**

What a familiar feeling that word evoked. So familiar that it made him want to scream. But that would have been unseemly, to do in public.

And so Shinji Ikari simply waited for the ride to come to an end.

_sssh_

And end it would.

_sssh_

Though not in the way he anticipated.

_SSSH_

It was that sound of static, that finally made him look at the world around him. Expected colors had washed away to a faded gray, the normal sounds of human chatter and railway clatter muted to a whisper. Yet, looking down at his hands, he was the sole exception. _What's going on?_

**_SSSH_**

The static was sharp, and sudden. At the end of the car, stepping out of a void, was something monstrous, inhuman in way that mocked human characteristics: arms that were just a touch too long, shoulders just a touch too wide, vicious claws and uniform skin of dark green; ribs surrounded a heart of bloody crystal, glowing with a devilish aura; yet, most unnerving was that avian mask, with blank and emotionless eyes. _What?_ The monster raised a hand, extending a single finger. _What is that thing?_ The finger brushed against the neck of an older gentleman, who seemed rather unassuming. _What's going on?!_ That gentleman was suddenly consumed with light and shadow, baring a pained grimace. Through the murky soup of whispery gray, he went berserk among the other passengers.

Faded remnants of shock and fear and agony filtered through his ears, yet he couldn't take his eyes off of the monster. _What's happening?!_

The creature looked towards him...and narrowed its eyes. There was a sense of purpose, of intent, of a willingness to _kill. _It took a step a forward...

...and Shinji Ikari _**screamed.**_

xxxx

Elsewhere, at the same precise instant, in a lab deep underground...a man with a distinctive beard and orange sunglasses frowned. "Hmm." The monitor on his desk was flashing rather familiar words:

**PATTERN BLUE DETECTED**

However, alongside were _other_ words that were familiar, yet far, _far_ rarer:

**EVANGELION ACTIVATION DETECTED**

"...well, looks like the Third Child ascended earlier than anticipated." With a frustrated sigh, he picked up his cell phone and dialed a particular number. "Katsuragi, this is Commander Ikari...yes, the MAGI have detected a Pattern Blue _and _an Evangelion. You might want to get to the station quickly...and I'd advise having medical personnel on standby."

xxxx

Elsewhere, atop a radio tower overlooking Tokyo-3, a blue-haired girl with red eyes stared quietly towards the horizon...towards the rail car, advancing toward the city of Tokyo-3. Even from here, she could see flashes of red beginning to paint the inside of the train's windows, a mere hint of the massacre that was occurring...and one that was all too typical of this particular day and age. But then again, such was the nature of this world, where man was born from blood, and often met his end by blood.

Perhaps...no. She did not dare to hope. Hope had done her little good. "Soon..." she whispered, feeling the quiet weight in the bottom of her soul, and the light haze in the back of her mind. "Soon..."

xxxx

_Shinji Ikari was falling...through chains, through blue, accompanied by the soft strings of a piano and the stirrings of a violin...and when he stopped, he found himself sitting on a metal chair in an empty auditorium. No, it wasn't empty; the blue velvet curtains were bringing drawn up, revealing a desk...and a short, bizarre-looking man sitting behind it, gloved hands folded in a fashion that he found strangely vexing. However, his attention was drawn by the bald man's limp white hair, his long and bushy black eyebrows, his huge bloodshot eyes with almost cartoonishly small pupils...and a nose that seemed as long as his arm._

_Yet, for some reason, the bizarre-looking man had an intrigued smile on his face. "Ah...it appears an interesting guest has arrived." His voice was cultured, not deep, yet not light either. It evoked a hint of mystery. "My name is __**Igor**__. Welcome to the Velvet Room, young fool...we have important matters to discuss, you and I."_

xxxx

_**SHIN PERSONA EVANGELION**_

xxxx

_Shinji blinked, feeling somewhat out of his element. "...where am I?"_

_"This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter," explained the man, his nose appearing more as a spear, or perhaps a blade, such was its bizarre length! "It may be difficult for you to understand this, yet you seem strangely well-equipped..."_

_His thoughts were all caught up in trying to understand what was going on. "...how did I get here?" The last thing he recalled...was...the train...?_

_"Given that it's your first time in this place, a little confusion is expected. Only those who are bound by a 'contract' may enter the Velvet Room...in the future, you may find yourself bound to such a fate." He chuckled lightly. "Now...why don't you introduce yourself?"  
_

Contract? What contract? _Instead of voicing his thoughts, he impulsively satisfied Igor's request. "...Ikari. Shinji Ikari."_

_"I see..." His smile did not change one iota. "Tell me, Mister Ikari, why did you come to the city called Tokyo-3?"_

_"...I..." He wasn't sure why. There was something important that he had to do...he honestly believed that. Yet, the mere thought of facing his father again, of crawling back to him after...well, he had dwelled on that heady cocktail of emotion and frustration and agony for years enough as it was. "...I'm...not sure..."_

_"An honest opinion, it would seem. Such is human life, to go forward not knowing what you want, hmm?" Igor calmly pressed one of his hands down onto the desk, flipping over a deck of cards that Shinji could not see from his seat. "The fortunes of many are bound not just within themselves, but with others; such is the destiny of man, weaving in and around the destinies of others." He flipped over one card, showcasing the simplistic icon of a jester near a cliff, with a dog yipping at his heels. The numeral for 'zero' was displayed quite prominently on the top of the image. "Some could see such chaos and calamity and confusion, and deem it not worth bothering with...such is the reason for the __**Fool**__ to step forward, not knowing what fate may await him." With a flick of his gloved hand, he tossed the card towards Shinji-_

_A dainty hand reached in front of him, grabbing the card in midair; so sudden was the movement that he yelped with shock._

_"Forgive me, esteemed guest; I have yet to introduce my assistant to you." As Igor spoke, the holder of the card stepped into his field of vision, revealing herself to be a young girl. Bearing silver hair in a messy cut and yellow eyes, her attire was rather slovenly compared to Igor's black suit and white gloves: gray pants with tattered edges, and a blue velvet blouse with large, billowing sleeves. In addition, she was barefoot, stepping silently along the auditorium floor. "This is __**Sokila**__; she will accompany you along your journey, wherever it may lead."_

_The silver-haired girl nervously curtsied, a wide smile on her face. "A pleasure to meet you, Mister Ikari! I hope we can get along."_

_"...what journey?" He turned away from Sokila, looking nervously at the bizarre old man. "Do you...do you know something?"_

_Igor's smile gained a hint of mystery, yet his bloodshot eyes lost none of their casual intensity. "This coming year will be a turning point not just for your destiny, but the destinies of many...and if your journey is not seen to its end, your future, your past, your very present...may be lost forever. My duty is to provide assistance, to ensure that does not happen." With a seamless move, he shifted the cards back into a single deck. "In the days to come, you will enter into a contract of some sort, after which, you will return here...at which point, we shall discuss additional details. Until then...farewell."_

_Sokila reached for his shoulder, just tall enough to face him eye-to-eye while he was sitting in the folding chair. "See you soon!" Without warning, she shoved him backwards, and he was too stunned to scream as he fell, and fell, and __**fell**__...  
_  
xxxx

_The images were stark. Bloody. Filled with terror and rage, as he faced the creature aboard the rail car's shadow._

_In the back of his mind, the voice spoke with deathly intent._

_"_**_I am-_**_"_

xxxx

With a frightened gasp, Shinji Ikari awoke, staring at an unfamiliar ceiling. His vision took in the sight of square tiles, an IV bag in the corner of his periphery, and the sound of monotone beeping...and just like that, knew that he woken up in a hospital. "...wha..." What had happened? What had all of that been? How had he gotten here?

"Boy, that was a pretty dramatic way to wake up. You hangin' in there?"

Shinji slowly turned his head to the right, gazing upon the face of a beautiful woman with long dark hair of a strangely purplish shade. Clad in a red bomber jacket and a slim brown dress that went down to her thighs, every aspect of her seemed to stand out. However, it was her eyes - filled with a strange sort of concern that he couldn't quite pinpoint, masked by playfulness - that prompted him to answer. "Um...yes...uh, who are-?"

"Who am I? Well, my name's **Misato Katsuragi**! Pleased to meet you, Shinji-kun," she said, seemingly uncaring for the impropriety of addressing a stranger so familiarly. "I was...well, I was _meant_ to be the person to pick you up at the station. Which I kind of did, though not in the way either of us wanted..." She leaned forward, and the playfulness in her expression disappeared. "Do you remember what happened?"

"...um..."

xxxx

"_**I am-**_"

xxxx

"...not really. It's kind of a blur," he quietly admitted.

That answer seemed to satisfy Katsuragi. "...well, at least you came out of it alive. It's more than can be said for some of the other passengers. Congratulations on surviving a run-in with a victim of Angel Syndrome."

Angel Syndrome. There was something very familiar about those words, linked together in a way that evoked dread and terror.

(His sensei calmly spoke of standard things to do, if someone ever showed the signs. "Out here in the countryside, chances are low...but all the same, everyone must be prepared, in this day and age.")

(The TV newscast droned on. "**-the incident in Tokyo-2 was the fourth such one this year, but casualties were mercifully limited-**")

(The TV newscast droned on. "**In our top story tonight, a surprise incident of Angel Syndrome struck Paris, today. By the time France's Anti-Terror Task Force could muster a response, over two hundred people had been murdered-**")

(The TV newscast droned on. "**-according to Chinese government officials, after the most recent incident of Angel Syndrome in Beijing-2, **_**Ghost**_**occurrences increased by over forty percent-**")

(The TV newscast droned on. "**-today marks the twelfth year since Second Impact, and the official tally of Angel Syndrome incidents in Japan stands at five hundred and seventy, with the total worldwide tally coming to-**")

His memories said plenty.

Misato Katsuragi smirked knowingly, in a way that was both sad and rueful. "...yeah, you know the deal. Nasty business, Angel Syndrome is...no way of predicting when it'll strike, no way knowing who it'll hit...I guess it was just bad luck, that the victim was the rail car's designated Anti-Terror operative...makes you wonder how the **Acolyte** was ultimately put down." Her gaze turned sharper, full of a certain expectation. "Train pulled up, with a bunch of people dead...but so was the Acolyte." The sharpness increased. "...sure you don't remember?"

"...uh..."

xxxx

_Every single cubic inch of his body felt like it was on fire, encompassing the world and nothing and everything._

_"_**_I am-_**_"_

xxxx

"...no. I'm sorry."

"...eh, I suppose it can't be helped." Katsuragi leaned back in her chair, adopting an easygoing smile. "I guess it could be considered a test run for you, given the reason you were brought to Tokyo-3 to begin with."

"...why _was_ I brought here?" Inhale. Exhale. "The...the letter didn't...it didn't say much." This woman didn't look like she would bite his head off if he were honest. Maybe. He wasn't entirely sure. For some reason, that hesitance was maddening.

"..._seriously?_" Katsuragi sighed heavily, muttering unpleasant things under her breath. "Operational security can be a pain in the ass..." With a decisive huff, she slapped her hands together, smiling at him. "Okay then! So here's the gameplan: I'm going to get you discharged, then we're going to head for NERV so we can debrief you and get you up to speed. Sound like a plan?" She gave a conspiratorial wink. "If we're quick about it, I'll see about stopping by a ramen shop on the way to get you some decent grub. I mean, you're probably _starving._"

"I'm-" Shinji's protests were cancelled by a sudden growl from his stomach. He pointedly ignored the embarrassed heat of blood rushing to his face.

"Hah! Called it."

"...thank you, Katsuragi-san."

"Oh come on, that makes me sound like an old fuddy-duddy! I'm _way_ too sexy to be called that by a strapping young lad like yourself." For some reason, it looked like she delighted in embarrassing people. Or maybe it was just him. "You can call me Misato. But I'll accept Misato-_chan_ if you feel like you're up to it~"

Her teasing was odd. Highly inappropriate. It also got under his skin. Yet...there wasn't any malice to it. For some reason, that made it tolerable. "...thank you, Misato."

Her smile was genuine in its warmth. "You're welcome, Shinji-kun."

As she turned away to begin speaking with a nearby orderly, Shinji leaned back in the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. _What have I gotten myself into?_

xxxx

And all the while, on a subconscious level, in words he had no way of knowing...a familiar voice spoke, within the depths of his being:

_I am _**_thou_**_, thou art I...  
__Thou hast acquired a _**_new_**_ bond._

_It shall _**_lead_**_ thou to the truth  
that _**_parts_**_ the seas of depravity._

_Take hold of the _**_Sun_**_ Arcana,  
and let it_**_ guide_**_ you  
to a new Promised Land..._

xxxx

Shinji Ikari felt just a little bit fuller. A little less empty. He didn't know why, but he did not question it.

xxxx

"Thank you, come again," said the young bespectacled man that had finished serving them ramen. In a flash, he was off serving another customer, his frizzy and unkempt head of short black hair flopping with each step.

"Come on, Shinji-kun, let's be off!"

Shinji jolted, caught in mid-bow to their server. "Er, right..." He completed his bow, and followed the purple-haired woman back outside. Into her blue Alpine Renault they went, and off they were to downtown Tokyo-3. Now that his belly was full of noodles and broth, the sense of anxiety that had hung over him since waking up had subsided. Just a bit. "...thank you for dinner."

"Eh, it's no big deal! That place gives large portions for not a lot of yen. The service ain't bad either, 'specially when they got that part-timer working there!"

"The one who served us?"

"Yeah, a lot of high-school students from Hakone Academy can be seen working part-time around here. Some of them are hit or miss, but _that_ kid definitely goes the extra mile, from my experience!" Katsuragi grinned nervously. "Damned if I can remember his name, though...hehehe..."

The ensuing drive was filled with Katsuragi filling the dead air with small talk, trying to coax him into participating. His attention was mostly focused on the passing lights of the city, a technicolor collage that formed a chaotic yet familiar mishmash. There was something hypnotic about it...

"We're here."

Shinji blinked rapidly, not realizing that they had come to a stop. Shaking the self-induced daze off, he looked up at their destination: a large skyscraper, bearing a prominent red leaf with the English letters 'N E R V' as its logo. "...NERV Headquarters..." It looked _taller_ than he remembered.

"Yep. When's the last time you were here?"

"...I don't know." His memories of Tokyo-3 were vague enough as it was: the memories of a child, faint and fleeting...

"Well, let's get to it, then. Come on." Katsuragi led the way, and he followed dutifully. Through the secure glass doors - _three_ of them - they entered the main lobby, which was rather barren at this time of evening. It all evoked a strange mix of spotless corporate aesthetic and antiseptic medical clinic, marred only by NERV's bloody logo. He calmly waited for Misato to finish signing them in with the receptionist, not really paying attention to their quiet words and professional dialogue. Everything about this place seemed to carry its own will, overpowering everything else around them: an inherent dominance, baked into the very air-

"Okay Shinji-kun, you're signed in!" A blank ID badge with a lanyard was slipped over his head. "We'll get you a permanent badge later. But anyhow, we have important things to take care of, so let's get to it!" Katsuragi all but dragged him over towards the elevators near the back of the lobby, jabbing her finger on the _down_ button, of all things. She must have sensed his confusion, because she said, "lucky you Shinji-kun, you get a guided tour of the _important_ areas. So-"

_Ding.  
_  
The doors in front of them opened, and Misato's words died in her mouth. "...good evening, sir."

Shinji Ikari blanched, his eyes taking in the stoic form of a man in a blue suit and a red sweater; all tertiary characteristics seemed to fade away from Shinji's cognition, leaving only the face framed by brown facial hair, and orange sunglasses that seemed as though they belonged, if only because they hid the man's eyes from sight. In the back of his mind, that anxiety returned with a vengeance. Though, in the face of his father, could anyone blame him?

Gendo Ikari stared silently for a few moments, before giving an order. "Get in." His feet were apparently rooted to the ground, unwilling to move. Thus, Gendo spoke again. "Now."

With almost reluctant defiance, Shinji crossed the threshold, not looking up at his father. If he could shy away and shrivel into a ball, he would have done so; instead, he settled for standing on the other side of the elevator from where his father stood.

But when Misato made to follow, he spoke again with the clarity of a thunderbolt. "You will take a different elevator, Major Katsuragi."

If the woman wanted to protest, she did a very good job of hiding beneath a veneer of professionalism. "Yes sir." The message was more than clear; his father wanted a private moment with him. Just trying to acknowledge that reality both thrilled and _terrified_ him.

The closing of the elevator doors felt like a death knell, and it was just father and son.

Seconds passed, as the elevator slowly descended deeper into the Earth...then a minute. All in wretched, accursed silence, ruined only by the hum of elevator motors and the silent _clickity-clack_ of floor numbers...which is why he nearly had a heart attack when his father's gloved fingers pressed the 'stop' button, bringing them to a sudden halt between basement levels. Now there was _true_ silence, broken only by the rushing blood in his ears, and the heavy beats of his own heart.

_This is what I wanted. This is what I feared. I mustn't run away, why can't I run away, what does he want? Why now of all times, why?! I hate him I __**loathe**__ him I despise him I love him I pity him I wonder and worry and agonize why isn't he talking WHY ISN'T HE SAYING ANYTHING-  
_  
That burning feeling in the depth of his chest...

xxxx

"**_I am-_**"

xxxx

...was starting to flicker. It demanded release, lest it _erupt-  
_  
"There will be few opportunities to talk, in the days to come." Those level words, delivered with that cold tone, were enough of a balm for that fire in his belly. "I have many things to attend to. You were brought here for a particular purpose, and nothing else; don't presume more than is warranted." Gendo kept looking straight ahead as he spoke, not even glancing at Shinji from the corner of his eyes. It was like watching a statue speak. "If there is anything you wish to say, or to get off your chest...then this is your one chance." A beat. Two beats. "Don't waste it."

Shinji stared blankly at the elevator doors ahead of him, half-convinced he had heard something different. _What...what?_ His father had _told_ him to come here. _He TOLD me...  
_  
"Will you remain silent?"

_...hah...I...I see...ha._ "...I..."

xxxx

_"_**_I am thou-_**_"_

xxxx

"...I came here because you _wanted_ me..."

"I believe I already told you: don't presume more than is warranted."

Shinji's right hand began to clench, never quite becoming a fist; a nervous habit, he recalled. He couldn't remember when he had started, but it was a welcome reminder, an old friend. "...I...why _now_...?"

"Do you remember anything from the train?" A beat. "Do you remember what you saw?"

He didn't want to remember. _I want to remember._ He was afraid. _I mustn't run away!_ "...why did you call me...?"

"If you cannot recall what happened on the train, then there's no point in telling you."

"...but..."

"You know of NERV's mission, correct?"

Shinji grimaced, bringing a hand up to to his forehead. Why was it getting hotter? "I..."

xxxx

_"_**_I am thou. Thou art I-_**_"_

xxxx

It was public knowledge, by this point: something to do with coming up with an effective counter to Angel Syndrome, of finding a way to stop it entirely. "...it's..."

"If you know of our mission, then there's no point in me explaining anything further." A beat. "Now..._tell me what happened on that train._"

The back of Shinji's mind began to hiss.

xxxx

_As the berserk man ran wild amidst the rail car's shadow - oh gods, the man was _killing_ the other passengers - the creature began to advance._

_He couldn't move. Why couldn't he move?!_

_Was he going to die? Here?!_

_He wanted to run...but he couldn't...he couldn't...where could he go...where WOULD he go...?_

_"_**_Is this it?_**_"_

_A bestial voice, in the back of his mind._

_"__**Is this all you're going to amount to, after everything?**__"_

_It was angry._

_"_**_Is this all your determination amounts to?_**_"_

_Hoarse, full of wrath...sounding both as an otherworldly beast and a monstrous woman._

_"_**_You know why you came here...so why are you hesitating?_**_"_

_At some point, he had started screaming. His entire body felt like it was on fire._

_"_**_Tell me, Shinji Ikari: the other you knows the truth of why..._**_"_

_He barely had the strength to stand. The creature was coming closer._

_"_**_...so what shall you do NOW?_**_"_

_"...I..." The words were familiar. "...mustn't..." Yet they were all he had. "...run..." In the core of his being, that was all he could cling to, in the face of death. "...away...!"_

_The voice chuckled, almost...amused._

_"_**_Very well. Then let us forge a contract."_**

xxxx

Shinji was on his knees, teeth clenched with agony. He could barely detect that the elevator had begun moving again; his mind was too busy focusing on the spectral flames erupting from his body, blazing a brilliant blue.

"So it appears your ascension wasn't a partial one...yet your control is lacking." His father sounded remarkably calm. In the corner of Shinji's eyes, he could see that the man was finally looking at him; he didn't _seem_ worried, either. "_Very _lacking."

"...shut..._up_..." he snarled. He sounded like a beast.

xxxx

_The fire was becoming _**_hotter_**_. Shinji had fallen to his knees, writhing an absolute agony. To call it existential wouldn't be an exaggeration._

_And all the while, the Beast within his mind, rising from the bottom of his soul, continued to speak._

_"_**_I am thou. Thou art I...behold thy rage, that could sunder the world entire. Thou, who have come this far knowing that the truth will bring thee nothing but pain; show the strength of thy will, to keep moving forward, to take thy desires with thine own hands..._**_"_

_The voice within his head was so loud...he had to let it out...he HAD TO GET IT OUT...!_

_"..._**_even if thou were lost for all eternity!_**_"_

_With a throat-rending scream, he plunged a burning hand into his head, impossibly _**ripping **_into it...yet the pain of that was _nothing_ compared to the fury of the fire within. With an agonized howl, his fingers gripped something _solid...

_"_**_Now...CALL MY NAME!_**_"_

_...and he YANKED, tearing the source of that pyre out. "Come forth...!" His entire body went alight with blue fire, which shattered the gray drudgery of the shadow around him with its brilliance. "..._SHOGOKI!_"_

xxxx

The ghostly fire flickered around Shinji's entire being, slowly peeling off into something solid, something tangible, _real._ The interior of the elevator was awash in an azure ambience, and a whirlwind of force seemed to manifest with him at is epicenter. Although his father's jacket fluttered wildly from the sudden waves of force, he didn't seem flustered or afraid.

That fact alone seemed to set Shinji off even _more._ Why wasn't he afraid?! Or...or even confused!? His son was _on fire!  
_  
A vague part of him noticed his reflection in those orange shades, and saw that his eyes were a fierce, burning yellow...but somehow, that little oddity was unimportant. Compared to _tearing into his father_, everything seemed unimportant-!

_Ding.  
_  
The elevator doors suddenly opened, and the flames emanating from Shinji's bodies (bodies, he only had one...right?) were overwhelmed by an even greater power from without.

_**SMASH!  
**_  
The boy gagged as he was slammed into the back of the elevator, a fist of what felt like iron driving into his diaphragm. Meanwhile, the humanoid apparition that had been manifesting above him was also pulverized with a single blow from yet _another_ spectral beast, one that was humanoid as well...but more solid, more real, even as its body hummed with that strange blue essence. Clad in brilliant orange armor, the armored humanoid appeared to be a cyclops, for its helmet bore a single optic lens of bloody red. The sheer force of the beast's blow compounded with the pain in his abdomen, as his thoughts seemed to devolve into white noise.

With an agonized gurgle, his eyes looked upon his assailant: it was a blue-haired girl, her eyes gleaming yellow, with blue flames flickering slightly from the white bodysuit she wore. "...you..." What was...?

She removed her fist from his diaphragm, allowing him to collapse to the floor of the elevator. The flames that had begun to spread from within him died out, leaving naught but an empty chill.

"Thank you, Rei," said Gendo Ikari, nonchalant as ever.

"Of course, sir." The flames around the girl also began to fade; as the armored cyclops vanished, her white bodysuit also seemed to evaporate into nothingness, leaving only a rather plain school uniform in its place. The blazing amber glow in her eyes also went dim, leaving her natural eye color: red like rubies, or freshly-spilled blood. Somehow, her normal appearance was...more unnerving. "Will you need any assistance restraining him?"

"No. You're dismissed."

The girl - Rei, apparently...? - bowed, walking away without another word. She passed by a number of people - medics? Technicians? - who quickly rolled over a gurney of sorts. His father passed them by, walking over to where Misato Katsuragi was standing. He at least found some solace in the expression on her face, which was...well, perturbed would be putting it mildly. As the faceless workers (that seemed so _rude_ to say, but he just couldn't muster the energy or concentration to acknowledge them...) began to pick him up, he could barely pick up their conversation.

"Was that really necessary, sir?"

"Yes."

"Intentionally egging on a potential _Evangelion_ user...?"

"Not potential. Actual."

"That makes it even _more_ questionable. Sir."

"His aptitude needed to be evaluated. We have little time for conventional methods."

"...and his 'aptitude'...?"

"His control will need work, before he's deployed. You will focus on his feelings of animosity for me, until he can call upon the Evangelion by instinct alone."

"...that seems dangerous, _sir._"

Shinji wanted to hear his father express remorse. Or a sense of regret, even if it was only driven by the necessity of command. _Something. _Instead, his father's answer said plenty. "His temperament is ill-suited for instilling loyalty to NERV, and his psychological profile indicates that the training regime for the First and Second Children would be less than effective. But his hatred for me is predictable. Use it."

"...that's cold." Such was the woman's apparent disgust, that she neglected to say _sir_, even if her tone didn't change that much.

"Hatred is but a tool like anything else, Major. _You_ know that as well as I do."

A half-delirious chuckle slipped past Shinji's lips, even as he was painstakingly strapped down into the gurney, under so many straps and constraints that he could barely move...which he didn't feel like doing anyway. _I don't know why I bothered...you haven't changed...  
_  
xxxx

And all the while, on a subconscious level, in words he had no way of knowing...a familiar voice spoke, within the depths of his being:

_I am _**_thou_**_, thou art I...  
Thou hast acquired a _**_new_**_ bond._

_It shall _**_lead_**_ thou to the truth  
that _**_parts_**_ the seas of depravity._

_Take hold of the _**_Devil_**_ Arcana,  
and let it _**_guide_**_ you  
to a new Promised Land..._

xxxx

_...you haven't changed at all._ That disappointment felt oddly comforting, nestling into his gut as embers providing warmth. Then a syringe pierced his arm, injecting an unknown substance, and all went black.

xxxx

**END OF 6/6/2015**

xxxx

Author's Note: This is all Strypgia's fault. I hear that's what writers of Eva fics say these days, right?

But seriously, you can blame KZxcellent and his Let's Play of Persona 5...which I only got inspired to watch because of Joker's inclusion in Smash Bros Ultimate...and I'm cutting the chain of causality there.

Now, given that that LP was my very _first_ exposure to the Persona series in terms of story and gameplay (I've listened to its excellent soundtracks via Youtube for years since Persona 3)...this is something that's rather experimental. As those with more background in Evangelion and Persona lore may have noticed, some things are a little...different. That's intentional. This is less a crossover, and more of a _fusion_, of sorts.

I honestly have no idea where this will go (okay, I _sort of_ have an idea), or how long it'll take to get there, given that this will be a distinct second in priority to my other Evangelion fusion (_Acts of an Old Exodus_, my sequel to my other Destiny/Eva fusion _Gospel of a New Genesis_)...but hey, treading new waters is always fun, right?

Let us advance.

See you soon, and please review!

/I shouldn't be doing this, _I have more important things to do_  
/why must you betray me, brain?!  
/_whyyyyyy_


	2. Sunday - June 7, 2015

_The silver-haired girl with yellow eyes (Sokila, was it? What an odd name...) was smiling._

_"It's going to be tough for you, isn't it? Sorry..."_

_Why was she apologizing? That was his job, wasn't it?_

_"...well, you can't quite come back to the Velvet Room yet. You still haven't signed the contract!"_

_...contract? Hadn't Shogoki said something about a contract...?_

_"Not _that_ one, silly!"_

_...then what was she-?_

_"You'll see. Hopefully. Maybe...?" She shuffled her bare feet nervously._

_...what-?_

_"Time to wake up now. Bye-bye!"_

_The faint haze of blue began to brighten-_

xxxx

/Sunday: June 7, 2015/

Shinji Ikari slowly opened his eyes. Another unfamiliar ceiling. The room appeared similar to the hospital he had _previously_ woken up, except...more high-tech.

"Ah. You're awake."

He slowly looked to his side, blinking at the sight of a woman with dyed blonde hair and disinterested emerald eyes. Her white lab coat was rather pristine, relative to the rumpled look of her blue blouse, black skirt, and brown pantyhose. She was jotting down on a clipboard, adding, "You were out for about nine hours. Your forced ascendance in the elevator was rather traumatic to your _spiriology_. However, repeated Evangelion usage should fix that."

"...huh?"

"It's a basic metaphysical biological term. Consider it the spiritual equivalent to your body's physiology," she explained, with the tone of one who had explained it _way_ too many times. "Either way, you appear to be relatively whole...for the moment. Though that might change if you wash out of the program...but let's be honest, given how rare your mental and metaphysical profile is, you won't be _allowed_ to wash out."

_...kind of getting tired of not knowing what's going on_, he petulantly thought. This was meekly translated as, "um...what are you talking about...?"

"First things first. I'm **Dr. Ritsuko Akagi**, the head of NERV's Technical Branch and the scientific lead for Project E. My job right now is to get you up to speed on the theoretical aspects of our work, because you're going to be expected to perform." She quietly reached around his cot, undoing the various restraints - wait a second, _why were there so many straps holding him down?!_ \- as she continued, "can you tell me what you know of **_Second Impact_**?"

Shinji blinked at the sudden question, and recalled his history lessons automatically. "It...it was an event of mass insanity and hysteria that struck the entire world on September 13, 2000. Millions of people suddenly went crazy and berserk." The chaos had resulted in the deaths of...well, a _lot_ of people. Shinji couldn't recall the exact figure, but it was in the hundreds of millions, at least. "Nobody ever figured out what the cause was...but they ended up calling it Angel Syndrome." And to this day, nobody knew exactly _how_ it was triggered...at least, as far as he knew. "It...it was also the event where **_Personas_** became public knowledge."

"That'll do." Dr. Akagi undid the last restraint, and promptly turned towards the door. Shinji gingerly followed, wincing at the soreness of his diaphragm. "What's your knowledge of _cognitive psience_?"

"...um...it's...the science of...Personas?"

"And what about metaphysical biology?"

That one he was less sure on. "...er...the science...of the soul...?"

The woman nodded. "Fair enough. Both cognitive psience and metaphysical biology could be considered sister disciplines, of a sort." As they walked through the white-washed halls of NERV - past a multitude of doors, the doctor's heels _click-clacking_ and echoing loudly - she continued, "cognitive psience deals with the study and analysis of the psychological archetypes that comprise Personas, along with related studies of the cognitive world they inhabit and its characteristics. Metaphysical biology, meanwhile, deals with the study and analysis of the soul and its various characteristics, with related applications. Does the term A.T. Field mean anything to you?"

"...er-"

His stutter was enough to make Dr. Akagi huff with irritation. "That's Metaphysical Biology 101. We'll make sure to get that fixed."

Shinji blinked, rather flummoxed by the sudden knowledge dump. "Uh, why exactly do I need to know-?"

"Because your job demands it, and the Commander wants you in the field as soon as possible. The number of Angel Syndrome incidents are on the rise worldwide, to the point where government officials are seriously beginning to consider the possibility of there being a _Third Impact_; we need as many weapons to stop it as soon as possible. That's where you come in."

"How-?"

"We'll get there." Dr. Akagi stopped by a pair of sliding doors, formed of interlocking panels of metal and hardened polymer. After she scanned her badge, her thumbprint, and her retina, the two doors slid open with a seamless _woosh_. She stepped into a larger room, one that was almost cavernous; rows and rows of computers and terminals surrounded a central podium containing three red-and-white blocks, each one larger than a van. "Behold the **MAGI**: our means of accessing the cognitive world."

There was a strange heaviness to the word 'MAGI'.

(The TV newscast droned on. "**-the inability of Anti-Terror agents to access the Metaverse in St. Petersburg was linked to a brief outage of MAGI functionality in Moscow, according to-**")

(The TV newscast droned on. "**Our top story tonight: in America, the municipal authorities of Boston-2 were forced to announce that they had received a government grant to construct their own MAGI facility, after reports were leaked concerning-**")

(The TV newscast droned on. "**-officials have yet to disclose whether the bombing of the MAGI complex in Jerusalem was a result of terrorism or Angel Syndrome-**")

"...I've never seen one before, except in pictures."

"You wouldn't have. Operational security on a grand scale," remarked Dr. Akagi, calmly descending the stairs towards the mainframes housing the three biological supercomputers. "There are currently thirty MAGI units active throughout Japan, with seven hundred and two worldwide, and more being built every year. The more coverage mankind has for accessing the cognitive world, the better. The ones you're looking at right now, however, are actually the _originals_." There was an odd hint of pride in her voice, yet...remorse, as well?

Shinji soldiered on. "...how exactly-?"

"Do they enable access to the cognitive world? It would take too long to explain, and would be beside the point. Tell me: what is the extent of your knowledge about the Anti-Terror Task Force?"

That was an easier bit of knowledge, if only for practical reasons.

(His sensei made him memorize the contact information for their town's lone Anti-Terror operatives. "Don't try to be a hero, and let the professionals do their job.")

"...they're able to remotely access the Metaverse with specialized devices linked to the MAGI, and use their own Personas to stop Acolytes in their tracks." A brief grimace from Dr. Akagi prompted him to ask, "did I say something wrong?"

"No. Personal distaste for the term Metaverse, even if it is the colloquial term for the cognitive world. Just a foible of mine, don't worry about it." Dr. Akagi ran a hand along one of the MAGI mainframes, one bearing the name of CASPER in thick, bold English letters. "Victims of Angel Syndrome...the Acolytes...have to be put down by either a cognitive assault with Personas, or by overwhelming physical firepower. The former has long proven itself to be more efficient and cost-effective in terms of lives saved and collateral damage. Before the Anti-Terror Task Force became more prominent worldwide...well, I'm sure the ruins of Tokyo-1 are testament enough to the results of conventional weaponry."

Shinji wasn't sure he could accurately attest to that; he had never visited Tokyo-1, after all. The tragedy had happened before his birth; it was hard to envision or imagine it, in his mind. "...but if there are more MAGI, and more A.T. agents with each year...why is Angel Syndrome rising?" It didn't make sense.

"That's the thing: to this point, the actual cause of Angel Syndrome can't be countered. Essentially, for the past fifteen years, we've been treating the symptoms and not the disease...by necessity, unfortunately." She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "Now, what's the extent of your knowledge about _Ghosts?_"

Shinji went quiet. Solemn, almost.

("It was your first time seeing a Ghost?" inquired his sensei, speaking with the tone of one who had grown used to the suffering of the world. "It could have been worse. That one was fairly benign, in the grand scheme of things...but that's why quarantines are established for a _reason_, you foolish child.")

"...sometimes...the souls of those who are killed by Acolytes...they don't move on."

Ritsuko nodded grimly, accepting his rather laconic answer. "That's the other nasty thing about Angel Syndrome: sometimes, the souls of the recently departed are changed; altered; transformed into spectral wraiths that continue the killing that the Acolytes started. Even the dead aren't immune to Angel Syndrome...and unlike the living, Personas have no effect on the dead. No mind to target, after all..." she briefly chuckled, a sound more bitter than a ginger-coated orange peel. "...however, this logically means the causes of Angel Syndrome aren't purely cognitive. It has a tangible, spiritual component as well...hence why I think cognitive psience and metaphysical biology are truly sister disciplines: _both_ are necessary to ultimately end this threat, once and for all."

"...but...how in the world do _I_ fit in here?" Why had he-?

"Personas are unable to manifest in our physical reality, yet their flexibility and versatility are undeniable...which is why companies, governments, entire _nations_, have poured countless hours of research and development into trying to make them corporeal. Anything to provide a hard counter to Angel Syndrome. NERV, however, decided to take a different path: the soul is already a tangible reality that straddles the boundary of physical and metaphysical, so why not imbue it with the capabilities of the mankind's varied psychological archetypes?" Dr. Akagi turned around, gazing intently into his eyes. Every word was laden with meaning, intent on impressing the importance of NERV's mission into him. "The fusion of mind and soul, the embodiment of Persona and Spirit..._that_, Shinji Ikari, is what we call _**Evangelion**_."

That word. 'Evangelion'. There was a harsh weight to it, unrelenting and jagged. It felt odd on his tongue. "Eee...van...gell...eee-un...?"

"There was a lot of name shopping for what NERV would call these fusions. We eventually settled on a term from ancient Greek that means '_good news_'." Dr. Akagi shrugged nonchalantly. "We could use good news, in this day and age."

"...why me?" Why. Why. Why. It was a familiar sentiment. A familiar question. "Why...why _me?_"

"Because after all the screenings and censuses performed by the **Marduk Institute**, the number of individuals we've positively identified as being compatible with Project E is _infinitesimal._ One in a billion is our _upper bound_. Prior to you, we've only successfully identified _two._ You've already met the First Child, and the Second Child is operating out NERV's secondary branch in Europe. You're the Third."

First Child: that girl with the blue hair, and the yellow-then-red eyes, the one his father had called 'Rei'. _That thing had been...her Evangelion, then?_ "When-?"

"Were you identified?" anticipated Dr. Akagi. The faux-blonde shrugged, letting a trace of professional irritation slip through. "Above my pay grade, unfortunately. I don't know if you were identified years ago, or last week. Marduk's selection process is kept separate from NERV. To minimize 'legal complications', or so I'm told." The woman loosed a delicate snort, in spite of its contemptuousness. "Unbelievable, that there are those who still think of such trifling things..."

Shinji blinked at the woman's rather open disdain for something as basic as legality. Or maybe it was how she considered it 'trifling'. And _seriously, why was he here?!_ "I...I only came here because my father asked me to come here. His letter...it didn't say anything. Everything was blanked out, except one word that he wrote himself."

"That word being?"

"Come."

The woman rolled her eyes. "Typical. Then again, that's why I'm talking to you now." In the face of his uncertainty, Dr. Akagi plowed on, blunt and brusque. "I'm not normally known for my bedside demeanor, so I'll be straight with you: the fact that you've manifested an Evangelion _twice_ means that you're going to be an object of interest for those seeking to end Angel Syndrome. NERV isn't the only game in that metaphorical town, and the show you put on in the train wasn't exactly subtle." _What show?!_ "You're going to be trained in the use of your Evangelion, as well as how to coordinate with other Persona-users. Be it with NERV or otherwise, you _will_ be deployed against Acolytes and Ghosts, for the sake of mankind. Essentially, you've been drafted into a war of unknown length against a psycho-spiritual enemy that we've yet to fully identify in terms of motive, objective, or metaphysical composition. There aren't any days off, and you likely won't receive any accolades from the public at large. 'Thankless' would be a good word for what you're going to be doing." A beat. Two beats. "Also, the probability that you'll die in the line of duty is nonzero. Closer to one than it is to zero, if I'm honest."

Shinji wondered if Dr. Akagi thought she was trying to be kind - in some sick, perverse way - by being as callous as possible. An instinctive wellspring of bitterness and petty spite roared within him, manifesting as words, "I...but, that's not _fair!_ I didn't ask for this!"

"Nope. It also doesn't matter."

"Then _why?!_"

"Because the other two people who can do what you do are already employed by us, and they're stretched thin as is. There is literally _no one else_ who can do what you can do."

That wellspring threatened to become a geyser. Nay, a gout of flame, one that would erupt and burn everything into ash, just like before. His hands clenched and unclenched slowly, seeking something to grip and rip and tear-!

xxxx

_The voice of the other him was brimming with furious wisdom, bound by instinctive knowledge._

"**_You know why you came here...so why are you hesitating?_**"

_Yellow eyes started at him, almost mocking, or perhaps merely challenging. An echo of his own voice joined the feminine Beast._

_"__**The other y**_**_ou knows the truth of _****_why_****_...so what shall you do NOW?_**_"_

xxxx

-and he forced himself to exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. _I mustn't run away...I mustn't run away...I mustn't run away!_ "...fine. I'll do it."

For once, the woman actually looked surprised. "Oh?"

There was a _whoosh_ from far behind, followed by rapid footsteps. "Hey, Ritsuko!" The voice of Misato Katsuragi rang out, slightly irritated. "You couldn't have waited until _after_ I woke up?! I still haven't given him the tour!"

A small, yet wry smile came to the faux-blonde's face, the first smile she had demonstrated since Shinji had woken up. "Commander's orders, I'm afraid."

Katsuragi's brown eyes narrowed with suspicion. "...did you at least go lightly?"

"You know me better than that, Misato."

"I bet you told him something awful. Like no performance incentives, or no paid vacation."

"Actually, I told him no days off. Among other things!"

A gasp of pure shock came from the vivacious woman. "That's a load of bee-ess!" roared Katsuragi, somehow angry yet playful at the same time. She turned towards him with a nervous smile, bowing somewhat exaggeratedly. "Sorry if she made you scared or angry or...well, _anything_ really. She's not known for her bedside manner."

"Already told him that."

"_You_ are no longer involved with this conversation!" she snapped. "But seriously, Shinji-kun...whatever she told you...well, some of it's true. Not gonna lie. But it won't be all bad either. I can promise you that."

The back-and-forth had been so sudden that Shinji didn't know what to think. "...can we go? I need to think."

The faux-blonde nodded. "You've certainly earned that much. And breakfast from the cafeteria, for that matter." Dr. Akagi briefly ran a hand through her hair, almost looking contrite. "For what it's worth...I think you have what it takes."

"...to do what?" Shinji asked, regarding her with a measure of trepidation, not sure if Ritsuko Akagi's demeanor from earlier had been an act or not.

"I suppose you'll have to find out day by day, same as anyone."

xxxx

And all the while, on a subconscious level, in words he had no way of knowing...a familiar voice spoke, within the depths of his being:

_I am __**thou**__, thou art I...  
Thou hast acquired a __**new**__ bond._

_It shall __**lead**__ thou to the truth  
that __**parts**__ the seas of depravity._

_Take hold of the __**Moon**__ Arcana,  
and let it __**guide**__ you  
to a new Promised Land..._

xxxx

"...I guess so," murmured Shinji. The suspicion was still there, yet it was checked by a small measure of curiosity. He would give this woman a chance.

"So!" exclaimed Misato, latching a grabby hand onto Shinji's shoulder. "Let's get some grub, and then we can cover some more details of what you're going to be doing, _without_ the doom and gloom." She shot the other woman a stink-eye before leading him away.

xxxx

As Misato led the Third Child out of the MAGI Chamber, Ritsuko briefly loosed a sigh of frustration and discontent and regret, wrapped up in a cocktail of self-recrimination. _Well, time for a smoke break._ She needed to take the edge off.

At least the boy appeared to have some spine. An unexpected surprise.

It was still horrible, this whole state of affairs. She didn't know whether his acceptance of that made it less sad or _more_ so. _Then again, he probably has no idea of what's being asked of him...damn it Gendo, what were you thinking?  
_  
Just another problem on a list of countably infinite length.

xxxx

True to her stated intent, Misato Katsuragi gave him a guided tour of NERV. Mostly. There were some places below ground level that were off-limits even to her, apparently.

("Eh, can't really blame them. I may be Director of Operations, but that's kind of a ceremonial title unless it comes to anti-Acolyte and anti-Ghost ops." Katsuragi flashed him a medallion of sorts, bearing the letters 'A.T.' in a stylized font, against a background of spectral fire. "I'm actually on loan from Japan's Anti-Terror Task Force. You could say it's where I earned my chops!")

He wasn't quite sure what pork chops had to do with anything, but he dutifully followed the woman who had undoubtedly been the friendliest figure to him since arriving in Tokyo-3. Slowly, they had ascended upward, eventually emerging above ground. If nothing else, there was a lot of variety.

Barracks, shooting ranges, recreational rooms, cognitive testing chambers, plain offices filled with accountants and paper-pushers, and - to his strange surprise - an entire floor dedicated to in-house psychologists and psychiatrists.

("Well, we're dealing with 'psychic' entities, the stuff of minds gone mad! If something goes wrong, we've gotta be able to treat it, you know.")

For some reason, that struck him as utterly hilarious, but he wasn't quite sure why.

Which brought the duo to the in-house cafeteria, where Shinji was currently digging into a bowl of udon soup. He had been _famished. _As he ate, Katsuragi was walking him through a rather thick sheaf of papers, his...'contract', of sorts, with NERV. Misato was skipping most of the pages. "Boring legalese..." Flip. "Boring legalese..." Flip. "...ah, basically, no talking to media figures without prior authorization. PR's a nasty game. I usually default to throwing the Commander at them." Flip. "Boring legalese..." Flip. "Boring legalese..." Flip.

And so it continued, as Shinji mulled over his current situation. His current 'status' as someone who had an 'Evangelion'. Somehow, for reasons nobody was apparently sure of. "...um...what would happen if...if I were to just leave?" This question prompted Misato to pause, her eyes looking curiously at him. "Er...you know, to just leave this city...?" Hypothetically speaking.

"...well, borrowing a page from Ritsuko? You'd probably get kidnapped by some NGO, private firm, or government agency for study." He blinked, which prompted her to sigh. "...Ritsuko can be blunt, but her intentions were good. If I'm being honest, I bet dissection wouldn't be off the table." His lips twisted with shock, skin turning puce from nauseous anxiety. "Yeah...NERV's had to rebuff quite a few kidnapping attempts on the First and Second Children over the years. You'd think we'd be on the same team, when it comes to stopping the end of life as we know it, but that's humans for you, neh?"

"...Rei is the First Child, right?" Dr. Akagi had referred to her as such.

"Ayanami? Yep; has been for years. Unfortunately, I don't have access to her personnel file." She winked saucily at him. "Maybe you can _charm_ her into revealing her many sordid and personal _secrets~_"

The innuendo elicited a blush from Shinji, as he tried his best to move on. "...and...the Second?"

"Girl by the name of Asuka Langley-Sohryu. She provides coverage over most of Europe, but given the dramatic rise in Angel Syndrome incidents in the Far East, there's been talk of reassigning her out here. Who knows, maybe you'll meet?" She went back to work going through the contract. "Boring legalese." Flip. "Boring legalese..."

_Rei Ayanami...and Asuka Langley-Sohryu. _The names settled in the back of his mind, curiously exotic yet pleasant...well, save for the stark memory of Rei burying her fist into his abdomen. _Ugh..._

He quietly tried to distract himself by slurping up the last of his noodles, right as Katsuragi reached the last page. "Okay Shinji-kun..." She reached into her jacket pocket, pulling out a pen. "If you sign this, then you're agreeing to become a contractor for NERV, subject to the provisions of Japan's Cognitive Service Act, and the Child Soldier Laws from the UN Valentine Treaty. You will be provided free room and board, a modest salary, and paid tuition in return for becoming the ward of NERV, subservient to its command structure and subject to its custody. By signing this, you are acknowledging as a documented Persona user," however much an Evangelion counted as one, "that you have accepted the position freely and without coercion. If you do not sign, then you will be escorted from the building, and custody will be remanded to your prior guardian. Any and all consequences of a cognitive or metaphysical nature will no longer be NERV's responsibility."

_...in other words, if someone does come after me, then I'm on my own._ Judging by Katsuragi's strained smile, she knew that as well. At least she sounded somewhat apologetic about it. "...I guess I really don't have a choice, do I?"

"We always have a choice, Shinji-kun." Her sad smile briefly twisted into something bitter and painful. "It's just sometimes, the choices suck."

"...I...I think I understand." As much as a boy of fourteen could. And yet...he had come to Tokyo-3 for a reason. A reason he wasn't quite sure of, that he couldn't quite articulate...but it was important to him. He couldn't run away. If he did, what good would it do? _I...I mustn't run away._ And with those thoughts, he resigned himself to his fate, and signed the contract.

"...welcome to NERV, Shinji Ikari." Misato deeply inhaled, trying to clear the unpleasant air, before smiling widely. "_So! _Now that you're officially on the level...how would you like to visit the **Metaverse?**"

"...eh?"

xxxx

The abilities of the Anti-Terror Task Force had been played up for years; understandable, in light of their work. Downright obvious, when it came to hyping up mankind's most famous protectors against the supernatural. Yet, Shinji had never thought about being in a position to witness them first-hand. Just something else he was going to have to get used to, apparently.

Such thoughts filled his mind as he stood on the roof of NERV, its skyscraper headquarters peering over the skyline of Tokyo-3. The light of the Sun glistened off of the surface of Lake Ashi to the south, creating a glittery reflection against the contained sprawl of the city. "Is...is there something I need to do?"

"Nope. Just hold onto my hand, and I'll take care of the rest." He dutifully did so, holding onto her left hand as her right gripped the Anti-Terror Task Force medallion that she had shown him earlier. "Try not to think too much, okay?" She punctuated those words with a playful wink, before holding the medallion up with a stern expression. "Agent Misato Katsuragi, identification zero-one-whiskey-alpha-four: _activate cognitive tunneling!_"

Moments letter, a digitized voice emerged from her medallion. "**Cognitive tunneling: authorized.**"

Then...there was a subtle whisper.

_zhuu_

Strangely alluring, emanating within his mind...

_zhuu_

...slowly becoming more prominent as the air around them began to waver with flickers of red and black and orange and yellow...

_ZHUU_

Shinji clenched Misato's hand tightly, impulsively closing his eyes against the unpleasant sensation.

_**ZHUU**_

Then, it was over. His mind felt strangely...open, as though the thoughts within wanted to spill out and run free...

"You can open your eyes now, Shinji-kun."

He did so...and his jaw actually dropped.

The entirety of Tokyo-3 had been transformed, overtaken by a sepia filter. The sky had become a staticky pattern of red and black waves, jagged and strangely menacing. yet moving as slothful ocean waves; angular black lines and smoky wisps traversed the air, manifesting and winking out of existence at random intervals. Roots sprouted from the ground, writhing and digging into the city's buildings, flowing with what looked like orange juice, or brightly tinted blood. That was not where the differences ended, alas; roving drones - more like synthetic eyes, glowing with rainbow colors - gazed upon the city from above at numerous intervals, emitting manifold spotlights that roved over the landscape. Meanwhile, hovering in the sky - seemingly floating without any form of support or propulsion - was an immense gray sphere that bore the logo of the Anti-Terror Task Force in bold letters, which had the colorful eyes moving in and out of its immensity. Finally, as he focused more, and paid more attention...he could see various figures moving about in the skies above and the streets below, various creatures and humanoids and beasts and _things_ of all shapes and sizes. "Wha...what the...?"

"Pretty crazy, isn't it? This is the Metaverse...the cognitive world of mankind...the manifestation of humanity's collective unconscious."

Shinji turned to his right and yelped because _what in the world had happened to Misato's clothes?!  
_  
The woman smirked, lowering her blue-tinted shield sunglasses over her nose. "Ah, guess I should'a warned you. Force of habit." Her wardrobe had seamlessly transformed into a dark blue combat uniform of some type, bodysuit covered with plates of segmented armor; most prominent was the gunmetal breastplate bearing the logos of the Anti-Terror Task Force and NERV, side-by-side. A short cloak went down to her waist, but underneath it could be seen evidence of a holstered pistol and a sheathed short sword. However, there were...more personal elements to her new outfit: a white cross dangling on a necklace; the brand logo for the beer _Yebisu_, almost lovingly painted on the back of her cloak; a wedding band of plain white gold on her left ring finger. "A.T. agents have to have a recognizable uniform...but we all have our own quirks. You know, being people and all. Speaking of which..."

There was a flash of blue fire, and a large figure stepped into existence on the other side of Misato. Shinji paled, stepping back with shock: it was a tall woman - easily over _fifteen feet! _\- wearing traditional samurai garb, clad in colors of red and purple and white and green. Black hair was tied back into a long ponytail, but the woman's face was hidden by a large white mask, bearing a blue cross on the front. Twin swords of different lengths were strapped to the side of her hakama, one bearing the title of _Oribe_, and the other _Shima_. "...this is my Persona, **Tokoyo**."

"...hello, Tokoyo?" he politely offered.

Misato waved it off. "Eh, you're pretty much just saying hi to another part of me. Was all a part of dealing with my daddy issues; remind me to tell you sometime!" With that relatively flippant comment thrown out, the woman swept her arms out, gesturing at the macabre majesty and somber strangeness of the Metaverse. "So! What would you like to see first?"

"...uh..." The sheer enormity and oddity of this place - this _Metaverse_ \- was almost overwhelming. He'd heard anecdotal stories of this place before, but the reality of it was...it was...just..._what was he looking at?!_ "...I'd like to leave, please."

Misato actually looked put out by this. "Aw, _that's_ not a lot of fun! You know, you're gonna have to get used to coming here as part of your job. Might as well get your feet wet now, when everything's calm."

"Calm? Calm?!" The sheer amount of activity and _things_ happening did not strike him as calm. "This...this is _calm?!_"

"Well...yeah." The older woman sighed, leaning against her Persona's leg; the gigantic figure of myth didn't even budge. "Look...I get that your circumstances are less than ideal. I _get it._" Privately, Shinji wondered if she truly did, but he didn't interrupt. "But at the end of the day, you gotta deal with the hand you're dealt."

"...I guess..." He must have looked somewhat irritated, judging by the amused expression on Misato's face. "Fine..."

"That's the spirit! Now...where to?"

Shinji thought. He thought hard. This whole place was honestly too...intimidating, for him to want to explore, or check out. In all honesty, he wanted to lie down somewhere and just go to sleep...

xxxx

_Yellow eyes, hidden by a demonic helm of purple, gleamed knowingly at him._

_"__**You have a gap that you'd like to fill, **__**wouldn't**__** you...?**__" A hoarse chuckle. "__**If you don't know where you came from, how can you know where you're going...?**__"_

xxxx

...but not yet. Not now. "Um...can...can we see the train station? Where I arrived at Tokyo-3?"

Misato looked heavily at him, a brief hint of her brown eyes visible over the top of her sunglasses. There was a hint of...concern? Understanding? Before he could ponder further, she readjusted her shades, blocking sight of her eyes; however, her smile seemed more genuine. Maybe. "Okay then. Hang on tight then."

"Wha-?" Tokoyo suddenly hoisted him into the air, wrapping him securely in her arms and pressing him tightly against her chest. Her hold was secure, comfortable, almost motherly; then, without warning, she jumped off of the roof. "AAAAAAAAAAAAH-!"

"Gotta get your feet wet, Shinji-kun!" exclaimed Major Katsuragi, as she followed them with a boisterous leap.

xxxx

Meanwhile, a rainbow eye watched the scene with a tireless gaze. It transmitted this footage to a particular room, in another place, lined with television monitors: dozens, hundreds...maybe thousands. These monitors showed images transmitted from all over Tokyo-3's cognitive region, focused primarily on the Archetypes that traversed the realm, as well as the relatively few Shadows that had declined the safety and hospitality of the A.T. Task Force's aerial juggernaut.

Namely, the spherical _Tokyo-3 Cognitive Protection Center_; a rather generic name in all honesty, but it carried that sense of municipal banality which calmed and soothed the minds of the general public. It was expected, and official. It made the civilians' cognitive doubles more...pliable, and soothed the Archetypes that trudged along the contours of humanity's collective unconscious.

However, one particular monitor showed something unusual, and unusual things were _interesting.  
_  
"Hmm...Agent Katsuragi has a new friend, it seems..." The young man zoomed in on the footage of the terrified-looking teenager, looking rather haggard as Katsuragi's Persona landed softly on the street. "...so, that must be the Third Child that the others have been buzzing about..." How intriguing. "Shinji Ikari...how shall you perform, I wonder...?"

xxxx

"Hey, it wasn't _that_ big of a deal."

"We jumped off of a building, Misato-san!"

"And we landed _light as a feather!_ I bet you didn't even feel it."

Truthfully, he hadn't. Despite falling dozens of stories, Tokoyo had set down softly, as though the distance had been five feet instead of hundreds. Misato had landed with equal gentleness, something he was still trying to wrap his mind around. Was it a function of the Metaverse...?

"Hah! I know that look on your face. You're just trying to be difficult."

_No I'm not...  
_  
"**You kind of are...**" murmured the brain that was floating above the sidewalk, various nerves and tentacles ending in _blue eyes_ wiggling beneath it. Dozens of other such brains were floating along with it, as though they were salarymen headed to work. "**Could you tone down your thoughts, please? They're making us uncomfortable...**"

_You're one to talk about being made uncomfortable!  
_  
"**Now you're just being rude...**"

"Aw, it's just a dutiful_ Omoikane!_" Misato gave the floating brain a charming smile._ "_Don't worry, I'm setting him straight. Just keep being you!"

"**Okay.**" The 'Omoikane' floated on ahead, seemingly content with itself.

Shinji stared pointedly at Misato, trying his best to ask 'Explain _please_' with his eyes. He didn't want to ask, because he didn't trust his own ability to talk while walking near _a bunch of floating brains.  
_  
"Okay, okay, I get it! Now, let's cover a bit of Metaverse 101. First up: **Archetypes.**" She paused for a moment, gathering her thoughts. "So...the Metaverse is a strange place. As you can tell."

Shinji stared at several figures looking like onis and walking horses amidst the floating brains. "That's...putting it mildly." Tokoyo moved forward, stepping between him and the sidewalk laden with what appeared to be otherworldly creatures.

Misato nodded knowingly. "From what we've been able to ascertain, all of humanity's thoughts, emotions, and mental expressions have a concrete form in this place. _However_, these things are varied and numerous...I mean, you've got more thoughts and emotions in your head than _just_ you as an individual, neh?"

"...I guess?"

"But basically, these intangible aspects of the human psyche manifest in the cognitive world as discrete forms, actual bodies. There were a lot of classification systems thrown around about what to call em' and _how_ to call em', but the science-y bigwigs eventually settled on calling them _Archetypes_, based on the work of some famous psychologist. Every single creature you're seeing right now? A bundle of human thoughts and emotions, given form."

"...but why _these?_" he inquired, desiring a sensible explanation for the craziness he was seeing. Further down an adjacent road, he saw a bunch of winged women, naked cherubs, and alcoholic jars with _eyes_ floating around what appeared to be bars or clubs of a sort. "I mean, why would they look like _these?_" He waited for Misato to respond. He kept waiting. "...you don't know either, do you?"

"Hey, I never claimed to be an expert!" sputtered the woman. "I mean...okay sure, it _is_ weird. I have no clue why our ambient thoughts and expressions manifest like figures from folklore and myth, but they do, so I just rolled with it." Regaining her composure, she then continued, "now...all of these can be considered...well, I guess _dandruff_ is a good word. The flaky bits falling away from the real head of hair."

"...huh?"

"Generally, when someone is sufficiently 'mature'," she said, complete with finger-quotes, "their thoughts and emotions finally coalesce into something approximating the original person in reality...accept, for the most part, they tend to embody the parts of the person they'd rather not think about. Some say they're our primal essence, or our true selves, or just the feelings we refuse to deal with out in the open...we call those **Shadows**." She pointed down a random alleyway. "Like that one right there."

Shinji followed where she pointed, and shivered at the yellow eyes looking at him. The owner of those eyes appeared to be a high school delinquent of some sort, judging by his attire and hairstyle. He also appeared to be entirely _too_ comfortable with the Archetypes mingling around him: living lumps of green slime with red eyes, and floating commas with angry red faces. "...he looks scary."

Misato snorted. "Eh, most Shadows will leave you alone if you don't bother em'. Crazy thing is, that may not be a reflection of the real-life person in terms of what they look like. I wouldn't be surprised if, in the real world, that Shadow belongs to a quiet kid with top marks. Might be one of those who keeps to themselves, who's really itchin' for an excuse to punch someone, but keeps a lid on it because it wouldn't be proper...or he could be an actual delinquent in real life. Who knows?"

"...so everyone has a Shadow?"

"Most people end up having one by the time they're a teenager, usually before that."

"...so, where's yours?"

Misato jerked a thumb towards Tokoyo. "You're lookin' at her." His confusion must have been obvious, judging by her smile. "See, that's the other thing about Shadows...people who accept em'? Who come to terms with some of their less pleasant parts? Who deal with their faults, one way or another? Those Shadows become their **Personas.** Ritsuko would throw a lot more complicated terminology at you, but that's the basic gist of it."

Shinji marveled at the sight of Misato's Persona, bewildered at this larger-than-life manifestation of her...self-acceptance? Self-love? He wasn't sure how to quantify it. "Then...the _Evangelion_, that Dr. Akagi talked about...is that _my_ Persona...?"

Misato was silent, mulling over her words. "...judging by my experience, I don't think it is. Evangelions are a fusion of the mind and the soul...you could say that the Evangelion is the Persona empowered by your soul, able to function in reality. The way Ayanami-kun always speaks of hers..." Her lips twisted with a complicated expression, halfway between a flat look and a grimace. "...well, I guess you could think of the Evangelion as the vehicle for your Persona. Or its armor, made out of your soul." She shrugged. "It's kinda weird. I just let the eggheads haggle over the details."

_...so Shogoki...is my Shadow, wearing my soul?_ That seemed so odd. And yet...it had appeared for him, hadn't it? If that was the case...

xxxx

"**_What shall you do, with this knowledge? The real world is familiar, with rules you understand...but this place is foreign. Unfamiliar. Yet...your instincts _****_know_****_._**"

_A wistful sigh.  
_  
"**_The A.T. Field is the wall that protects and defines, in the world outside...but you have no such protection, in the realm of the mind's eye._**"

_A knowing smile. The tone of the Beast faded, leaving a voice that sounded like him._

"**_I look forward to facing you again..._**"

xxxx

...then where was his Persona? Everyone seemed to believe that it already existed...and yet, he had never faced his own Shadow.

Hadn't he?

"We're here."

Shinji's thoughts came to a halt, as he suddenly realized that they had arrived: _Hakone-Kintoki Station_, the terminus of the Gotemba-Hakone Line, on the north side of Tokyo-3...or at least, that's what he thought he would see, at least some weird cognitive version of it.

Instead...there was nothing.

Quite literally: the bizarre colors of the Metaverse seemed to fade away as one got closer to the train station, bleeding away into a wavy smoke that eventually terminated in an event horizon of pure void. "What..." The dividing line between the colorful cognitive world and the gray emptiness seemed to sizzle. "...what _happened?_"

"Another reason why Angel Syndrome is such a big deal, Shinji-kun...because however it works, it scars the cognitive world in its wake."

Shinji stared quietly at the dead zone, the psychic scar tissue that allowed no thought to trespass. He slowly - unthinkingly - reached out-

"Don't."

The boy blinked, feeling Misato's iron grip on his wrist. _Wait, what was I-?  
_  
"You don't want to cross that threshold. Not while we're in the Metaverse." The woman's eyes were focused upon the threshold between thought and anti-thought, her expression veiled by her sunglasses. "...it's hard to think, in places where Angel Syndrome's run amok. Makes trying to get things back up and running...difficult, at first. With enough people, and enough effort...small areas can be fixed. Healed. But...some places are too big to fix. Too wounded. Like the original Tokyo..." A somber huff, too loud in the quiet ambience of this place. "...it'll probably be another week before this station is fully back up and running. There haven't been any Ghost sightings, fortunately. Your intervention minimized the damage."

"...my..._intervention_...?" The utter emptiness of the space in front of him was considered _minimal damage?  
_  
"It's why Ritsuko and your father were so...blunt. It's why I've been so forward with you about this place: we're running out of time." The A.T. agent sighed, her free hand fiddling with the ends of her hair. "Nobody can give any specifics, other than the rate of Angel Syndrome incidents...but there's been an odd feeling. Call it a gut instinct, maybe. We can only do what we can." Her other hand had yet to release his wrist. "...do you remember anything else, about what happened on the train?"

"..."

xxxx

_The gangly creature suddenly advanced, movements animated by malice and speed._

_The thing that he had ripped out of his head - this _Shogoki_ \- shot forward, grappling with the creature, blue fire leaking from every movement._

_The berserk man - the one touched by the creature, reduced to a crazed killing machine - stepped over the mauled body of a woman, reaching for a young girl._

_A bestial roar - something primal, something old - erupted from his gullet as he himself charged at the man._

xxxx

"...I'm tired, Misato-san..." murmured Shinji, feeling drained. He wanted to sleep. "Can we please leave?"

"...sure thing, Shinji-kun." The woman released his wrist, reaching up for her medallion. "Agent Misato Katsuragi, identification zero-one-whiskey-alpha-four: initiate cognitive evacuation."

"**Cognitive evacuation: authorized,**" calmly hissed the medallion.

The subtle whisper returned, strikingly loud in the silent ambience.

**_ZHUU_**

Slowly, did that noise dissipate.

_ZHUU_

His mind began to pull back, consigning itself once more into the constraints of flesh and blood, space and time.

_zhuu_

Colors shifted and faded and blossomed, transforming into a familiar palette.

_zhuu_

And just like that, Shinji Ikari and Misato Katsuragi were once more in the real world, staring at Hakone-Kintoki Station in its mundane fullness. In lieu of an empty void, there were teams of individuals in hazmat suits cleaning out the interiors of the rail cars. One car was isolated on a separate track, looking like it had suffered an explosion from the inside. Every ten minutes, those who were working would switch out with other teams waiting beyond rows of temporary barriers and caution tape. The roads leading up to the station were blocked off, lending an oppressive isolation to the whole scene. If their sudden appearance shocked them, they did not show it.

Maybe they were used to members of the Anti-Terror Task Force going in and out of the Metaverse at will.

The full enormity of everything he had witnessed and experienced that day seemed to hit all at once, as his legs seemed to lose their strength. He leaned against Misato's side, struggling to keep his eyes open. "...tired..."

This seemed to amuse Misato, judging by her tone. "Heh...I imagine you are. Go ahead and have a nap, okay?"

That sounded like a _fantastic_ idea. He promptly followed her order, closing his eyes and letting everything around him fade away...

xxxx

_...and then he awoke once more, in a metal chair in an empty auditorium, with the music of a piano and wailing woman faintly echoing. The short and bizarre man was there as ever, amidst curtains of blue velvet. His silver-haired assistant stood by his desk, trying to stand still and failing miserably, judging by how she fidgeted._

_"Welcome back to the Velvet Room," said Igor. "It has been __**quite**__ an eventful day, hasn't it?"_

_...an eventful day would be putting it mildly, mused Shinji. More importantly, how did he get here? He voiced these thoughts._

_Igor chuckled. "You are fast asleep in the real world; this visit is akin to a dream! But worry not; you will journey here of your own accord, when the time comes." He leaned forward, calmly tapping his fingers in a legato rhythm, smooth and repetitive. "More importantly...you have signed the contract." Tap-tap._

_...that's right. The contract that bound him to NERV._

_"That contract has placed an indelible mark upon you, binding your fate to that organization." Tap-tap. "Tell me, Shinji Ikari: what are your opinions of NERV?"_

_"...my...opinions?" His gut impulses were less than pleasant, colored by his father's behavior, and Dr. Akagi's rather callous mannerisms; Misato Katsuragi's relative friendliness brought them to an unpleasant neutrality, marred by an instinctive dislike. "...um...they're heavy-handed...?"_

_Igor's assistant tittered, rocking back and forth on her heels. "I think you have other things you'd like to say...like stupid!"_

_"..."_

_"You will have to forgive Sokila; as far as residents go, she is a rather unusual case...but one that is warranted by the circumstances." Tap-tap. "NERV: an organization driven by a desire to combat a dire threat, one that threatens the world. And yet, what world will remain at the end, should their victory be obtained? A world reduced to cold logic, all mysteries done away with?" Tap-tap. "A world where the mind is completely mapped, a world where the soul is laid bare in all its intricacies; where does this leave the heart, with all its boundless potential?" Tap-tap. "Life without mystery is one that many humans would find unfitting. Do you agree?"_

_Shinji thought about it. In this place, he felt like it was safe to simply be, to think and ponder, without pressure or expectation. "...I think people like things being predictable...to a point." Yet he had come to Tokyo-3, driven by a nebulous motivation he couldn't quite articulate, even now. "...I...I guess unexpected things make life interesting. But those can be good or bad."_

_"Indeed. One such unexpected event would be the power you awakened to: that of Evangelion." Igor leaned forward, his bloodshot eyes peering directly into his soul. "It is a power that you shall come to understand more in the days to come...especially when you face the manifestation of your psyche that lies within: the __**Persona**__."_

_"...like Misato's Tokoyo." He still couldn't quite recall the appearance of Shogoki in its fullness. What lied within that strange power...?_

_"The world has endeavored to categorize and study the Persona in great detail; it will suffice to say that the Persona is a part of your personality that surfaces to handle certain events: a mask to protect you, a Shadow that devours the uncomfortable. Truly, your strength will grow if you come to accept it in its fullness."_

_Sokila nodded. "I bet your Persona's gonna be awesome!" The girl's cheerfulness was oddly comforting._

_"However, no one can stand alone in isolation forever, and the human heart is one that grows stronger in the company of others." Igor drew three cards off of his card deck, holding them aloft in one hand so that he could see the stylized images of the sun, a demon, and the moon. "The Sun. The Devil. The Moon," said the bizarre man, before flipping them around in a seamless motion. On the other side of the cards were images of three people. "Misato Katsuragi. Gendo Ikari. Ritsuko Akagi. Your heart has already established links with these individuals."_

_"...I can understand Misato-san...but Dr. Akagi? My _father?_" Shinji wanted to sound incredulous, but it came off as false. Did a part of him still hope for reconciliation...?_

_"The emotional bonds that you bear with others can be complicated, for the heart is intricate. Not all bonds are always joyful or happy...yet, as your ties grow and develop, you will come to understand not only them, but yourself as well. Thus will your inner strength reach _new_ heights." Igor merged the trio of cards together, and with a trick of the hand, they vanished from sight. "Seek other Social Links; be willing to engage with new Confidants; as they grow in strength, so will your Persona...and Evangelion, in turn. Please remember that."_

_Sokila hopped off of the stage, skipping over towards him. "Mister Igor wants you to have this!" She handed him a digital audio tape, its shell colored a pleasant shade of blue._

_"...uh...thanks...?" He dutifully pocketed the DAT cassette._

_"You are an important guest of the Velvet Room," explained Igor. "That shall serve as your key to return to this place. Now...time marches on. I shouldn't delay you any longer. Next time, you shall come here of your own accord. Until then...farewell."_

_The silver-haired girl grinned, stepping away from him. "See you later! Come back soon!"_

_And just like that, the Velvet Room began to fade away...  
_

xxxx

...and he awoke, blinking wearily. _Where...am I...?_ He was lying on a couch, covered with thin sheets; the room was dark, but a distant digital clock on the wall showcased **23:12**. He sluggishly translated the time in his mind; it was past eleven o'clock at night. _Is this...Katsuragi's place...?_

In his peripheral vision, he saw part of the wall open up, unveiling a glowing white void. None of the ambience brightened the room, an incongruity that his mind was too tired to fully process. Out of the void walked...a penguin. Or perhaps waddled would be a better word. _What?_ The white void slid shut as the penguin waddled forward, calmly passing the couch...until it backed up. The penguin turned - he could barely make out green eyes and a feathery red crest - and stared directly at him. _Uh..._

The penguin didn't move its beak, and yet spoke regardless. "_This'll be our little secret._" The tone was male, he felt in the fatigued loopiness of his mind, because this was _clearly_ another dream.

_...uh..._

"_Sssh._" The penguin raised a flipper - that had _claws_ for some bizarre reason - and pressed the tip of one talon against his lips, slowly stroking them as he shushed him. "_Go back to sleep..._"

"..."

"...wark," quietly quacked the penguin, before waddling away into the adjacent kitchen. He opened up a small refrigerator and hopped inside, closing it behind him.

_...definitely a dream._ Because honestly, some things were too weird to contemplate.

And so Shinji Ikari closed his eyes.

xxxx

**END OF 6/7/2015**

xxxx

Author's Note: ...okay, going back to _Acts of an Old Exodus_ is turning out to be harder than I thought.

As you can see, various themes and motifs from both franchises are being played with here.

Misato's Persona, Tokoyo, is real figure from Japanese folklore. She has her own Wikipedia article.

Next time, we gaze upon the adventures of Shinji Ikari, transfer student!

See you soon, and please review!


	3. Monday - June 8, 2015

_Sokila was sitting in a crouch, looking curiously at him._

_"Do you remember why you're here?"_

_She tilted her head._

_"Do you remember why you started this?"_

_Her neutral expression turned into a frown._

_"I..."_

_The faint haze of blue began to brighten-_

xxxx

/Monday: June 8, 2015/

Shinji Ikari slowly opened his eyes. Another unfamiliar ceiling. The digital clock read **05:41**. The ambient light from the rising sun - filtering through the windows - was enough for him to get a better look at Misato's apartment. Various beer cans were neatly stacked upon a side board in the kitchen, almost evoking the image of a castle or a palace; besides the sofa were a number of magazines dedicated to automobiles and motorcycles, with a few focusing on firearms interspersed with them. There was a strange sense of chaos being barely contained, yet in an oddly productive manner; he had the strangest impression that it would have been more appropriate if it looked _messier_. Groaning, the fourteen-year-old slowly rose, glancing toward a bookshelf next to the television set. Aside from some psychological and military reference manuals, the top shelf was cluttered with various knick-knacks, souvenirs, and several photos. A few of them depicted Dr. Akagi and a scruffy-looking man with brown hair tied into a ponytail; however, pride of place was a portrait of a man with dark stubble and short dark hair, wearing the same white cross pendant that he had seen Misato wearing in the Metaverse. If the similar eye color didn't make it clear enough, the hints of a name tag on his left breast pocket in the photo - reading **Shiro Katsuragi** \- said the rest. _Is that her father...?  
_  
"Morning..."

Shinji turned around, blinking as Misato trudged into the room with a sleepy expression. Clad in a loose yellow tank top and blue pajama bottoms, the woman slowly walked into the kitchen, uncaring for the fact that her shirt revealed just a bit too much. With a flush, Shinji turned around, trying not to look at her. "Um...good morning..."

"Hope you don't mind the mess," murmured Misato, grabbing some cups of instant ramen out of her pantry. "I'm also not much of a cook, but I gotta get you up to the school soon to finalize your enrollment...so instant it is!"

"...er...I can cook...?" he tentatively offered.

"Heh. That's kind of you, but you're currently my guest!" As he heard water begin to boil on the stove, the sounds of rummaging through a refrigerator were heard; he chanced a look behind him, and saw her digging through it and looking for something. The sight of numerous cans of beer lining the side panel did not escape him. "Can't let a kid cook for their host; that's just rude, don'tcha think?" She withdrew from the frigid depths, holding a bottle of curry sauce, a bottle of hot sauce, and two cans of green tea. "Here."

Shinji nearly yelped at the can of tea that was lobbed his way. "Er...thank you."

"Well, it's either that or beer. Or tap water." With a weary sigh, she popped open her own can and took a pop off of it. "Hoo..."

"...you have a lot of beer," he blurted out, if only because the sheer volume of cans he had _already_ seen was ridiculous as it was. The flush returned with a vengeance, because seriously, _criticizing your host's drinking habits_ was just rude! "Um, sorry..."

"Aw, don't apologize. I get how I probably look. Would have probably opened up a beer if I didn't have company." A bitter, yet knowing chuckle escaped her. "Believe it or not, I used to be even _worse._"

"Eh?!"

His exclamation of shock elicited a laugh from the older woman. "Yeah...that's a story all its own. Still a work in progress, but aren't we all?" She poured the boiling water into both cups of instant ramen, before emptying copious amounts of curry and hot sauce into one of the cups. Her own, presumably. "A breakfast fit for warriors!" she jauntily boasted, setting his normal cup on one side of the kitchen table, and her deathly concoction on the other. "Save for some of your clothes, I arranged for your stuff to be delivered to the Hakone Academy dorms. Hopefully they'll have a room picked out for you by the time today's classes are over."

Those words actually struck Shinji as...atypical. Unusual. His chopsticks had barely delved into his instant ramen. "I'm...not...staying here...?"

Misato eyed him oddly, slurping up some heat-infused noodles before answering, "Between my work with NERV _and_ the Anti-Terror Task Force, I'm barely around as is. NERV's responsible for your custody now, and it would reflect poorly if you were left alone most of the time. Besides, the dorms are close to school, have plenty of security, _and_ you'll at least be around some kids your age, instead of a recovering slob struggling with alcoholism."

The brutal character of Misato's self-assessment struck Shinji cold. "...um...that...that seems harsh."

The woman shrugged, giving him a small smile. "Heh. You're a sweet kid, Shinji-kun. But I know what I am. More importantly, I know who I _used_ to be." Her lips twisted into a sly grin. "I'd tease ya about falling for the lovely Misato-chan, but I'd need at least one beer in me for that."

"Grk!"

"Ha! Still gotcha anyway! Now eat up; we gotta leave soon." As the woman began devouring the rest of her instant breakfast with gusto, Shinji tepidly ate the rest of his ramen.

For some reason, the reality that he wouldn't be staying here struck him as...unfortunate. Sad, even.

He wasn't sure why.

xxxx

/Principal's Office, Junior High Branch, Hakone Academy/

"And this should finalize the transfer," said Misato Katsuragi, signing the last of a number of papers dealing with various legal matters. Shinji stood dutifully beside her, looking at the elderly teacher and the even _more_ elderly principal with slight trepidation.

"Completely understandable," said the principal, his voice composed and cultured. Shinji couldn't quite identify the foreign accent. "We will, of course, apply discretion when it comes to all matters related to NERV."

Misato nodded. "You have our gratitude. The arrangements with Rei Ayanami will also hold for Ikari-kun."

"Of course." The principal glanced at Shinji, gesturing towards the teacher that was standing beside his desk. "This will be your homeroom teacher during your tenure at Hakone Academy, at least for the upcoming academic year."

The man - in his twilight years, with a face beginning to develop wrinkles beyond the eyes, yet still bearing a full head of gray hair - said, "I'm Kōzō Fuyutsuki. I would highly recommend acquainting yourself with the school rules as soon as possible, to minimize any difficulties."

Shinji nodded. "Yes, sensei."

The principal cracked a smile, his wrap-around visual visor hiding all hint of his eyes from view. "What a good-mannered child," said Principal Keel Lorenz. "I believe you'll do just fine at Hakone Academy."

xxxx

After bidding farewell to Misato Katsuragi, Shinji followed his new homeroom teacher down the halls of Hakone Academy's administrative building, which split into two wings: the North Wing for classrooms, and the South Wing for physical education and the various extracurricular clubs. A brief glance through the large open windows of the the lobby showed another large set of buildings sitting across an impressively-sized courtyard; that was the Academy branch for high-schoolers, apparently...

"You're awfully quiet, Ikari-kun."

The voice of Kōzō Fuyutsuki startled him. "Oh, um...sorry, Fuyutsuki-sensei. I was just...thinking."

The man - clad in a rather conservative brown suit, completely buttoned up despite the June heat - didn't seem to be offended. "No need to apologize for thinking. I know certain students that could stand to do that." The man chuckled at his own joke, as they ascended the stairs to head up to the second floor for the North Wing. The minutes were ticking down until the first period, and dozens of students were moving about at their own pace. The summer uniforms were all prevalent: short-sleeve dress shirts and dark slacks for the boys, while the girls wore a skirt-overall combo colored sea green, complete with a flowing red necktie over the white dress shirt. An upside-down triangle split down the middle served as a minimalist version of the school emblem, located over the left breast of the students' shirts. The full emblem was still visible nonetheless, for it was painted on the walls in certain locations: the same upside-down triangle, now bearing seven stylized eyes - three on the left side, four on the right - and a stylized ribbon beneath the triangle, bearing the words 'HAKONE ACADEMY' in stylized English font. "I imagine that you'll do just fine. Ayanami-kun's..._extracurricular_ activities have yet to impact her grades, so I imagine you'll do just fine."

"...thank you, sensei." Misato had mentioned certain arrangements regarding Rei Ayanami, back at the principal's office; that meant she also went to school here...but alas, his internal thoughts were halted by the reality that they had made it to his new homeroom, Class 2-A. Various students were already present, but the presence of Fuyutsuki-sensei immediately prompted a number of them to sit down at their seats. Nonetheless, their eyes immediately fell upon him, for he was new and therefore _interesting._ At least, they must have thought so, because he honestly didn't think he was that interesting. Then again, this was a familiar song and dance when it came to transfer students, wasn't it...?

"All right class, settle down." Fuyutsuki-sensei's voice was authoritative, prompting the students to pipe down.

The rest was handled by a girl with brown hair tied into pigtails, who stood up and barked, "STAND! BOW! SIT!" Her actions were obeyed with military precision by the rest of the class.

_...she's scary,_ thought Shinji with what he _hoped_ was a subtle gulp.

Fuyutsuki-sensei nodded. "Thank you, Horaki-kun. We have ourselves an unexpected transfer student, from the Aida District of Okayama Prefecture; please, introduce yourself to your peers."

Shinji dutifully wrote his name on the blackboard, in katakana first - 碇 シンジ - with precise strokes, and then the romanized equivalent underneath - _Ikari Shinji_ \- with slightly more hesitant scribbles. He then turned to the class, bowing politely. "Hello. My name is Shinji Ikari. Please take care of me."

"Very good, Ikari-kun. Please take the empty seat down the middle row."

Shinji slowly walked down towards the empty seat, but not before he caught a flicker of blue and red in his peripheral vision. Lo and behold, sitting by the window was Rei Ayanami herself...and she was staring quietly at him. _Well...this is...great...?_ Nothing like being in close proximity to the girl that had almost knocked him out with a punch to the diaphragm. _Maybe if I ignore her, she won't hit me again...?  
_  
As he sat down, the boy in the desk adjacent to him - a brown-haired youth with large eyeglasses - looked intently at his direction. "So...a _mysterious transfer student_ has arrived..." he whispered, dramatically adjusting his glasses.

"...um...I don't _think_ I'm mysterious...?"

"That's what someone mysterious _would _say..."

"...uh..."

"Quiet down, Aida!" commanded the authoritative girl - Horaki, apparently - somehow zeroing in on his whispers from the front of the room.

Fuyutsuki-sensei took the brief interruption in stride, leaning on the teacher's podium. "You'll all have plenty of time to acquaint yourself with Ikari-kun after school. Class is now in session."

And so began the familiar educational routine, which Shinji gladly threw himself into, if only so he could ignore the fact everyone else was whispering about him.

xxxx

The first half of the day had gone by with predictable swiftness, and now _kyuushoku_ was in-progress. Desks were dutifully rearranged to give Class 2-A's students some room, while a few stood behind the rolling carts to serve their fellows. The Horaki girl was among them, clad in a white serving gown, apron, gloves, face mask, and hair net. "Enjoy!" she said with what appeared to be genuine cheer.

All told, the meal looked good, made with higher-quality ingredients than he could recall from his prior school: a bowl of rice coated in various peppers and what appeared to be some kind of chili sauce, one breaded pork cutlet, a slice of watermelon, a small cup of seaweed salad, and the ubiquitous carton of milk.

He quietly took a seat at one of the desks that hadn't been rearranged into long rows, wanting to eat by himself. It's not that he _disliked_ his new classmates, but...

"_He's sitting by himself?_"

"_Kinda comes off as a loner..._"

"_Wonder why he transferred now instead of in April? He didn't really say when I asked..._"

"_Maybe he got in trouble at his previous school, and they kicked him out._"

"_...looks too shy to be a troublemaker. You think he's one of _those_ types?_"

"_Eh, I'll give him a week. He'll open up eventually._"

"_You think?_"

"_Just wait for sensei to work his magic. Can I have your watermelon?_"

"_What? You already have one! If you want more food-_"

...well, idle chatter and gossip were hardly his favorite things. Noncommittal answers, short sentences, few words: truly, they were the arsenal of someone who didn't feel like talking. Apparently, the others had gotten the message. Interestingly, Ayanami was also sitting alone, though none of the gossip involved her. She apparently had a reputation already. _I wonder if I'll have one as well...  
_  
Alas, he was not going to be left alone for long. A desk was slid in front of his, courtesy of the lone adult in the room. "I trust you won't mind," said Kōzō Fuyutsuki, his other hand holding his own tray of food.

"Um, no sir. Er, sensei," he babbled, wondering if he had done something wrong.

"Don't look frightened, Ikari-kun," assuaged his homeroom teacher. "I did this with a few of the students who transferred in at the beginning of the year. To help break the ice, ask them how they were doing. You're not in any sort of trouble."

"Oh...okay."

As the student and teacher slowly ate, the older man took the opportunity to ask, "I hope the lesson plans aren't too jarring compared to what you left behind in Okayama?"

"No, sensei."

"I imagine Horaki-kun would be more than happy to provide you any notes to cover any gaps; best to cover them now, before we move on further. Of course, there are also quite a few of your senpai from the high school branch who serve as tutors throughout the week. They would be more than willing to help you."

"Yes, sensei." More silence, punctuated by eating. Fuyutsuki-sensei's gaze was quiet; knowing; the man was evaluating 'Shinji Ikari' within his mind. "Um...?"

"...far be it from me to inquire and ask intrusive questions, but from my understanding, your situation is similar to Ayanami-kun's. Though, given your surname, it wouldn't take too much digging to find out that you're related to the head of NERV."

A distinctly unpleasant feeling curdled in Shinji's stomach. "...so...you know my father?"

"By proxy, for the most part. Our professional associations were few and far between, though you'll forgive me if I'm not inclined to share my opinions of him."

"Of course, sensei." His father seemed like the kind of person to have an unpleasant reputation. _I guess his reputation will pass on to me...  
_  
"The only reason I learned of him to begin with was because of your mother."

"...my...my _mother?_" he whispered, resisting the urge to shout.

(His sensei gazed upon him wearily, and spoke honestly. "I suppose you're old enough to learn now...but basically, through some various connections, your old man essentially decided that I would be a suitable guardian, after your mother's..._disappearance_." A pause. "He...wanted you out of his life. I'm sorry.")

Fuyutsuki-sensei nodded. "Yui-kun was my kouhai at the university I used to work at, and I was her mentor. I have plenty of stories."

"...can...can I hear some...?" Anything, to fill that void that sat within, that hollow expanse that had been a quiet part of his life for as long as he could recall.

"Of course...but on one condition."

"Yes, sensei?"

"Try not to isolate yourself on purpose." There was a hint of sternness in his gaze, yet it was mitigated by...age? Experience? A tired wisdom? "I don't know how long you'll be here in Hakone, but from my experience with Ayanami-kun, I know just enough about the kind of..._work_...that you'll be doing."

"...like what?"

"Enough to know that it can be unpleasant, and that it is something ill-suited for children, regardless of the necessity of it all. Even if you aren't allowed to divulge too many details...I would still recommend that you at least make some friends while you're here. After all, life is short enough as it is...so try and enjoy it, while you can."

It may have seemed trite or cliche, but Fuyutsuki-sensei's advice was still honest. Perhaps that was why he was willing to accept it. Or maybe it was simply because he wanted information about his mother _that much._ "...okay, sensei. I'll try."

xxxx

And all the while, on a subconscious level, in words he had no way of knowing...a familiar voice spoke, within the depths of his being:

_I am __**thou**__, thou art I...  
Thou hast acquired a __**new**__ bond._

_It shall __**lead**__ thou to the truth  
that __**parts**__ the seas of depravity._

_Take hold of the __**Hierophant**__ Arcana,  
and let it __**guide**__ you  
to a new Promised Land..._

xxxx

He bowed his head forward, unable to do more while sitting. "Thank you."

"It was no problem, Ikari-kun," replied Fuyutsuki-sensei.

Before they knew it, lunchtime was over, and the school day resumed.

xxxx

Shinji's first day as a student of Hakone Academy had come to an end, with nothing particularly noteworthy happening. As the final homeroom period ended and students began to disperse, the authoritative Horaki girl - who bore the title of 'Class Representative', judging by the occasional whispers he had heard - walked towards his desk. "How was your first day, Ikari-san?"

"...it was okay, Horaki-san."

The girl nodded, briefly shooting a glance at two boys who thought about jousting with a broom and a mop. Satisfied that they were suitably cowed, she then introduced herself. "I'm Hikari Horaki. I hope you'll enjoy your time here at Hakone Academy." There was a hint of routine in her words; this was an old song and dance that she had apparently done before. 'Welcome the new student!' 'Ask how they're doing!'

Shinji treated it with the same level of apparent care. "...I'll try."

"Were you able to keep up with the lessons?"

"For the most part..."

Horaki's expression slightly dimmed; it was then that he realized that she had freckles on her cheeks. "...well, if you ever have any difficulty, there are plenty of resources you can turn to. I'm sure Fuyutsuki-sensei advised you appropriately?"

"He did."

"And have you been assigned to a dorm room yet?"

He looked down at the packet of papers he had accrued throughout the day: a combination of homework, notes, and various pamphlets he had been provided by Fuyutsuki-sensei and some of the other teachers. "I...think so?"

With experience, Horaki pulled out a blue pamphlet, holding it up. "This is what you'll need. Would you like some directions?"

"...yes, please." Because he really wanted to just get his things and _rest_.

Little did he know, Rei Ayanami was quietly observing him, even as she cleaned the class windows.

xxxx

/2nd Floor, Izanagi Dorms, Hakone Academy/

Representative Horaki's directions had been perfect, Shinji couldn't help but muse. _She must know this school like the back of her hand._ He gazed at the door marked '23', and swiped the card provided in the blue pamphlet. With a small 'beep', the door unlocked, allowing him entry.

All told, it seemed...fairly standard. Two bunk beds sat on opposite sides, with each corner of the room having a desk and chest drawers. One for each student, presumably. The corridor that connected the room to the dorm hallway was also lined with a closet and another door that presumably led to a bathroom...one with at least a shower, judging by the sounds coming from within. _Does each dorm have their own washroom? _This Academy must have had quite the budget...

Three corners of the room were filled with signs of life and usage by people: on the right side of the room, one desk had a TV and various sports paraphernalia, while the other had a computer, various manga, copious notebooks and scattered pencils...and a camera? On the left side, one desk had some neatly stacked textbooks, a stress ball, and...a violin case? The fourth desk was completely bare. _I guess that's mine by default. _Fortunately, 'his' chest drawers were laden with his meager luggage and boxes that contained his belongings; it looks Misato - or NERV, at least - had come through when it came to getting his things delivered. _Well...time to unpack..._

The door to the bathroom opened, impulsively prompting Shinji to turn, and he immediately backed away and _closed his eyes_ because that person was _naked!_

"Ah. My apologies. I had thought my other roommates wouldn't be back until later...I suppose you must be our new transfer student?"

"...yes," hesitantly replied Shinji, still not opening his eyes. The other boy sounded rather gentle, at least. And easygoing. That was a plus, right?

There was the sound of drawers opening, and rustling clothes. Finally, after a solid minute, he heard, "I am, how would you say, decent?"

Shinji opened his eyes, looking at his new roommate: a rather slender young man, wearing only a white shirt and dark sweatpants, still drying off his hair with a towel...and then he removed said towel.

Honestly, Shinji's first thought was: _he's pretty._ Not handsome, not good-looking, not masculine: _pretty._ He had the strangest impression that sparkling motes of light would not have been out of place with his new roommate. The term **bishounen** would actually be fitting.

Strangest of all, and most striking, however...were his red eyes. Red like Ayanami's.

The silver-haired youth looked at him with a placid smile. "My name is Kaworu Nagisa."

"...my name is Shinji Ikari."

The smile became imperceptibly wider. "Welcome to Hakone Academy, Shinji-kun," he said, apparently not caring for how _forward_ that sounded. "It is my sincerest wish that you enjoy your time here."

"...uh..." He gulped. "Thank you...?" _Well...at least he's friendly?_

Nagisa simply sat at his desk, turning around in his chair with a smooth motion. "My roommates and I had been curious about whose belongings these were. You see, Hakone Academy is in such high demand, that we normally don't get transfers in at this time of year."

"...I see." He tried to inconspicuously look at the bottom bunk on the left side of the room. "Then...?"

"Why didn't we have a fourth roommate?" asked Kaworu, anticipating his question. "...unfortunately, there was an incident of Angel Syndrome two weeks ago, around Lake Ashi. Our roommate was...one of the casualties."

"...oh..." Shinji gulped, feeling like a heel. "I'm sorry..."

"You would take the blame? A curious sentiment." Kaworu maintained his cherubic smile, folding his hands under his chin. "But it is one that I've observed from many other humans: that desire to be guilty for various offenses they had no part in, while ignoring things they are truly at fault for...are you the same, I wonder?"

Shinji was honestly a little dumbstruck by the question. "I...I was just trying to...make you feel better..."

"The intent is certainly understood. I was merely...pondering. But such things can be discussed at a later time. I, however, am curious about the events that inspired you to transfer here."

The silence that followed cued Shinji in that he was supposed to answer. "Oh. Um...well...my father told me to come here, to Tokyo-3...so I did."

"Fascinating..." The strange thing was, Kaworu legitimately sounded intrigued by his answer. "And why did your father ask you to come here? Did you live with your mother before this?"

"...uh..." The intrusive curiosity was honestly kind of overwhelming. "I...um..."

"If you do not wish to answer, you do not have to. There will be plenty of opportunities for us to become better..._acquainted._"

So great was Shinji's gratitude that he physically deflated, the subconscious tension leaking away. "...thank you." He thought about asking Nagisa some questions, of returning the favor when it came to introductions...but he honestly didn't want to. There was something off-putting about the silver-haired teenager. Maybe it was the red eyes? "I'm...going to unpack, now."

"But of course, Shinji-kun. I'll be doing my homework." And so did he turn around, pulling out a history textbook and opening up a notebook filled with neat handwriting. All the while, he was humming under his breath, a tune that seemed very familiar...yet one that Shinji couldn't quite place.

The humming served as rather pleasant background music for him, as he unpacked his things and began putting them away. Clothes...a few meager books...his SDAT player...and a cell phone? _Wait, where'd this come from?_ Shinji confusedly turned it on, feeling even _more_ out of place as the logo of NERV popped up. _What?_ The main screen flashed into being, and a single file sat prominently by itself above the main dashboard, labelled 'READ ME.'

Shinji did so.

**Hi, Shinji-kun!**

**Didn't have a chance to get this to you yesterday, but we were SO busy, so I had to arrange for this to get delivered with your things. Hope Hakone Academy's been treating you well!**

**Basically, this phone will serve as the primary means by which NERV will contact you regarding missions, training, and things of that nature. It'll also let you know whenever the MAGI have detected any Ghosts or Acolytes, so keep it on you at all times!**

**Fortunately, I do have ****_some_**** pull, so I managed to arrange for you to at least have a few days to just...well, be a kid. (Thumbs up for being buddies with the head of Project E! :D )**

**Make sure to make it count, because it'll be Go Time sooner rather than later! I also wouldn't put it past Ayanami-kun to simply abduct you if you miss training, so no goofing off ****_too_**** much~**

**Take care of yourself! (b^_^)b**

**-The Magnificent Misato-chan, Loveliest of them All!**

**P.S. If the person reading this phone is ****_not_**** Shinji Ikari, I'll be straight with you: NERV already knows who you are, and they have no problem prosecuting you to the fullest extent of the law. Have fun with that! :3**

_...so, I have a phone now._ That was a first. More importantly, Misato had apparently cared enough to give him a heads-up; her character seemed to shine through the message, seeking to reassure him in her own small way. It was honestly worth a smile.

Unfortunately, said smile was interrupted by the phone buzzing, as an envelope icon popped up on the main dashboard. _Is...someone texting me already?_ Maybe it was Misato?

As it turned out, it was not Misato.

**RA: This is Rei Ayanami.  
**  
_...how did she get my number?  
_  
**RA: Major Katsuragi gave me your number, for logistical and operational continuance purposes.  
**  
_...oh.  
_  
**RA: Please confirm with a response.  
**  
Numbly, he slowly typed out a reply.

**SI: hello  
RA: Hello.  
SI: hi  
RA: You already said hello.  
**  
_...I don't know how to text._ Maybe Nagisa would know? He seemed like a talented guy...nah, he wouldn't bother him over something as silly as _this._

**RA: Are you still having difficulty remembering the events on the train?**

Shinji froze.

**SI: what do you mean  
RA: Calling upon the Evangelion is not something to be done lightly.  
RA: Do you understand what it means, to open up your heart?  
SI: i dont know what you mean**

Shinji briefly cringed at the typo. _I sound like an idiot...or write like one. Type like one._ Gah!

**RA: Then you have yet to face your Shadow in its fullness.  
RA: It will be inevitable.  
RA: Please prepare yourself accordingly.  
RA: Good night.  
**  
And then there were no more texts.

Shinji had felt out of his element before...but it was at that moment where it truly struck him: he was completely unprepared and ill-suited for _all_ of this. _Why am I even here...?  
_  
xxx

"_**You **__**know**__** why...**_"

xxxx

Shinji let his thoughts swirl about themselves, finally opting to lie down on the bottom bunk and simply collapse in a boneless heap. The calm humming of Kaworu Nagisa served as a strangely relaxing balm, accompanied by the staccato strokes of pencil against paper.

xxxx

"Yo."

Kaworu Nagisa's humming - ongoing for the past few hours - finally came to an end. "Welcome back, Toji-kun. I trust the track team is well?"

"Same as always," grunted the taller boy, his short yet full head of dark hair matted with sweat. Withdrawing some sleeping clothes, he began peeling off his matted track suit while asking, "has Ken shown up yet?"

"I have not seen Kensuke-kun since this morning."

"Eh, he's probably taking a quick trip to his old man's place. He's always griping about our Internet speed..." Toji's voice trailed off, prompting Kaworu to turn around; the jock was staring quietly at the slumbering form of Shinji Ikari. "That our new roommate?"

"Yes."

"...he's the new transfer student that was in our homeroom."

"Ah, how fortunate for you. What was Shinji-kun like?"

Toji huffed, sitting down with an exaggerated sigh on his lower bunk. "Quiet. Kinda reserved...just kinda 'there', if you get my meaning." A pause. "Should'a figured he'd be replacing Tomochika."

Kaworu's smile took on a slightly melancholic quality. "Kenji-kun's death wasn't your fault."

"...and yet here we are with a new roommate, less than a month later, like Tomochika never existed at all..." The boy leaned back on his bed, crossing his arms behind his head. "Makes me sick."

Kaworu merely shrugged, turning back to his homework. Humans could be so strange, sometimes.

xxxx

Meanwhile, within one of the residential apartments sitting to the west of Lake Ashi, Kensuke Aida quietly entered his old room.

It was one of the strange tidbits about life at Hakone Academy; although everyone was required to have their own room within the dorms on campus, it wasn't mandatory that they actually _stay_ there on a 24/7 basis. This was especially useful for those who still enjoyed time with their families. It was one of the strange aspects of teenage life: wanting to escape the nest, to stand on one's own feet, yet still yearning for the comfort of _home_ in the midst of the strange and bizarre world of junior high school.

For Kensuke, he liked home because it meant less people snooping around...and also because the dorm's WiFi was legitimately _awful._ But seriously, there were perks to his father being a workaholic...such as, for example, the fact that his father normally wasn't home.

He quietly entered his room, locking his door and blocking it. _Door, check._ The thick curtains over his windows, specifically weighted to block ambient light. _Windows, check._ He turned towards his topsy-turvy tangle of technological trinkets: various computers and laptops and circuit boards that had been disassembled and reassembled over the years, a testament to his engineering 'hobby'. At least, his dad believed it to be a hobby.

The various posters and action figures dedicated to the Anti-Terror Task Force hinted at his true ambition.

"Tonight's the night...tonight will _finally_ be the night." Kensuke readjusted his eyeglasses, putting the finishing touches on a large fifty-inch flat screen television that bore various attachments and doodads. Their effects were myriad and ineffectual, in isolation...but combined? Maybe...just _maybe_...well, actions would speak louder than words.

And so he tinkered, and worked...until, with a hesitant gulp, he finally flicked the switch, turning his modded television monitor on.

Its screen was glowing bright and white, with no gradient in color or brightness. From its speakers, a distorted yet feminine voice whispered, "**Cognitive tunneling: permitted.**"

A rapturous grin split across his face. "_Sweet_," he whispered. "Now._..to commence testing!_" He gingerly reached for the television surface, pressing at it and _his arm was going through it like water-  
_  
One minute later, the television was turned off, all of the room lights were off, and Kensuke was on the verge of hyperventilating. "Holy shit holy shit holy shit I've got a door to the Metaverse in my ROOM it's real it's _real it's frickin' REAL_..."

Clearly, testing would have to wait for another day.

xxxx

**END OF 6/8/2015**

xxxx

/Fuyutsuki as a Hierophant?  
/Kaworu Nagisa as a _roommate?_?  
/_Keel Lorenz as the school principal?_  
/_THE AU MADNESS HAS GONE CRAZY_


	4. Tuesday - June 9, 2015: Part 1

_Sokila was playing with her toes._

_"You've met a lot of people, recently."_

_Her yellow eyes shined with optimism._

_"I wonder if this is what life was like, meeting new people?"_

_She leaned back, wiggling her toes at him._

_"I wonder how many friends you'll make..."_

_The faint haze of blue began to brighten-_

xxxx

/Tuesday: June 9, 2015/

/Room 23, 2nd Floor, Izanagi Dorms, Hakone Academy/

Shinji Ikari slowly woke up, staring at the underside of Nagisa's top bunk. Another unfamiliar ceiling...technically speaking. He also felt vaguely warm and sweaty...oh. Right. He had fallen asleep in his school uniform. That would explain it. _I guess it's what I get for being so tired...at least I've got spares._ He rolled over, coming face-to-face with someone who was _right there-!_ "AAAAAAGGH!" Bolting awake, Shinji backed away, slamming into the wall. "What are you d-doing-?!"

"Waiting for our new roommate to wake up, obviously," answered the glasses-wearing boy; now that Shinji had a better look, it was the Aida kid from homeroom. "So, the _mysterious transfer student_ ends up in our dorm room...some would say that it's a mere coincidence..."

"It absolutely _is_, Ken," groused another boy that Shinji recognized from Class 2-A, one with more tanned skin and a more muscular physique; he was in the middle of buttoning-up his shirt, chewing on a protein bar absentmindedly.

"...but those who say such things are merely _deluded_ by their lack of imagination!" finished the boy with a boisterous flourish. "The name's Kensuke Aida."

"Toji Suzuhara," grunted the taller boy.

"...I'm Shinji Ikari," he blurted out, and then he felt foolish, because he had _just_ introduced himself in class yesterday-!

"And I'm Kaworu Nagisa!" chirped the silver-haired youth from within the bathroom, overpowering the drone of a hairdryer.

"We already _know_, Nagisa," retorted Toji.

"But everyone else was doing it, Toji-kun!"

"...all of my roommates are weirdos, I swear..." Toji sent a detached look Shinji's way. "Just don't touch my stuff, and we'll be good."

"Er...okay..." Shinji nodded dumbly, turning back towards Aida, who was fiddling with a rather familiar phone and _hey wait a minute_. "T-that's my phone..."

"Just adding some important numbers to your contacts _and_ done!" Kensuke tossed the phone to Shinji, and then whipped out his _own_ cell phone, which was decidedly thicker and with a larger screen. "Now I can do _this!_" His fingers were a blur on his screen.

Shinji's phone buzzed, and he impulsively looked down at it: the envelope icon was bouncing. Clicking it opened a smaller chat window.

**-The Room 23 Group-**

**KA: You are now a part of our collective!  
KA: This way, we denizens of Room 23 can communicate effectively!  
SI: okay?  
**

"Aw, dammit Ken, why'd you have to give him my number?" groused Toji.

**KA: You can't resist, Toji!  
TS: fine dammit im joining you happy now  
KA: Immensely!  
**  
Shinji felt strangely mollified by Toji's poor punctuation.

**KN: Now I can also text Shinji-kun.  
KN: yaaaaaay (^w^)  
KN: now we are all truly roommates  
TS: you're all frickin nuts. tomochika was **normal**  
KA: A truly low blow! As a fellow teenager, you are equally weird in ways that are merely more typical and mundane!  
KN: I think we're all perfectly normal! :)  
KN: Kensuke-kun, what is an acceptable term for "normal people"?  
KA: Normies!  
KN: then I think we're all absolute paragons among Normies.  
TS: seriously ken why do you encourage him  
KA: Because you being a killjoy is getting old.  
SI: who's tomochika?**

And just like that, the jovial atmosphere of four teenage boys texting each other while simultaneously being within conversational distance died like a terminal cancer patient with gunshot wounds. "...no one you'd know," grumbled Toji, grabbing a tote bag and stomping towards the door. "See y'all in homeroom."

**KN: but I'm not in Class 2-A. I'm in Class 2-E. ('~')  
KN: such a cruel world  
KA: Toji already left, Nagisa-kun.  
KN: but he still has his phone, right?  
KA: He probably won't look at it until he cools off.  
TS: you all suck  
KA: That was quick! :3  
SI: whatever i said, i'm sorry  
TS: ...whatever  
**  
"Don't mind Toji, he's been in an odd place since our...former roommate passed away." Kensuke awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. "He'll warm up to you eventually, so don't take anything he says personally!"

"...if you say so." It certainly sounded and _felt_ personal.

"Does anyone else need the hairdryer?" called Nagisa from the bathroom. "I am almost finished!"

"I think we'll be fine!" called Aida.

"Just thought I'd ask!"

_...living with other people is hard_, mused Shinji, wiping his eyes wearily. It was _way_ too early to feel this tired.

And so began his second day at Hakone Academy.

xxxx

The second period class went on, with students taking notes as their mathematics instructor lectured.

"-being able to analyze data is not enough; one must be able to take the data and present it in a usable form, so that others may be able to more easily understand it and _use _it." Maya Ibuki, a slender woman with short brown hair and an amiable expression, rapidly created an x-y graph on the blackboard, dotting in several points at various points. "Scatter plots are some of the most rudimentary yet functional methods of visualizing discrete data based on two variables." She jotted down certain integers by the vertical and horizontal axes. "And one of the ways we seek to visualize the data is to tease patterns out of our observations, so that one can try and make predictions. Ikari-kun?"

Shinji, who had been quietly writing down in his notebook, jolted out of surprise. He was being called on already? "Er, yes sensei?"

Maya Ibuki gestured toward her graph on the board. "Based on the points from this scatter plot, what would be a good example of a linear equation that fits the data, using only integers?"

He blinked, staring intently at the graph. There were seven points overall, and the points appeared to increase twice as far vertically as they did horizontally...at least five points actually appeared to match up perfectly to the equation he had in mind. "Um, y equals 2 times x?"

Ibuki-sensei nodded sagely. "Very good, Ikari-kun."

Shinji mentally sighed. _Okay, that wasn't too bad...  
_  
"Of course, a lot of what one can tell from a scatter plot also depends on where the data came from, and how we interpret it. For example," she wrote **Cabbages** beside the y-axis and **Turnips** underneath the x-axis, adding, "based on y = 2x, a rudimentary explanation of the data would be that there are twice as many cabbages as there are turnips. But there could be _other_ interpretations, based on where the data came from. Suzuhara-kun?"

"Uh, yes?"

Ibuki briefly huffed at the blunt response. "What would be an example of a _different_ explanation of the data?"

"...um...that cabbages are twice as tasty as turnips?"

The jocular answer, for all that it inspired several students to chuckle to themselves, was actually enough to get a nod from the woman. "It's certainly a reasonable one, Suzuhara-kun! The data on this scatter plot may have come from a restaurant poll, with the proprietors trying to figure out what their customers want more of. Knowledge of where your data came from and what you're measuring is as essential as trying to analyze and visualize it. After all, you can have all sorts of snazzy visuals and crisp graphs: it won't mean anything if the data's junk. Now, for another example-"

And so classes continued.

xxxx

Shinji Ikari looked up from the day's lunch - a bowl of udon soup, one relatively plain sushi roll, some pickled cabbage, a few apple slices, and the carton of milk - as another desk was dragged in front of his. "...hello."

Kensuke Aida sat down, the reflection of light from the nearby window making his glasses appear somewhat opaque. Were it not for the confident and boyish smirk, Aida would have gotten decent marks for a 'Gendo Ikari impression'. "Hello, Ikari-san." Then he folded his hands underneath his chin. Now Aida just needed some white gloves, and he would have gotten high marks all around. "So...how has Hakone been treating you?"

"...okay, I guess."

"Good...what exactly inspired you to transfer to our humble little academy in harmless, unassuming, not very _interesting_ Tokyo-3?"

For some reason, Shinji felt like he was being set up. "...nothing much, I guess..." he murmured, slowly chewing some pickled cabbage. He wasn't exactly keen on telling a relative stranger that he had come here solely because of a redacted letter with a single word scrawled on it.

"That so?" Aida seemed inordinately _pleased_ by his answer. "You're kind of reluctant to talk about yourself, aren't ya?"

Shinji decided to _not_ respond. Mostly because he didn't trust himself to stay polite (seriously, was Kensuke going out of his way to be _creepy?_), and talking felt like a _bad idea_ right now, especially when it seemed that every single thing he said gave Aida an impression he wasn't quite sure he liked.

"I get it, I get it; new place, new peers, one slightly unfriendly roommate, one _way too friendly_ roommate...growing pains, you know?"

"...I guess?" Had someone put Kensuke up to this?

"And that's why I'm just the guy to help break the ice. See, there's a little something I want to show you after school. At my place. Nothing big or fancy, trust me; but I think, given your particular background and skill set...I think you'll find it _very_ intriguing."

_...what background?! What skill set?!_ "Uh..."

"It'll be a quick bus ride from the Academy, it won't take long at all, if homework's what you're worried about. Toji won't really mind, since he's been spending a lot of time at the track lately, and Nagisa...well, he's _Nagisa_. He has his own thing. Heck, I'll even spot you for a meal! Sounds like a great deal, wouldn't you say?"

"...I...guess...?" What was he doing? _WHY WAS HE AGREEING?!_ "...do I need to bring anything...?"

Kensuke's smile widened. "Don't worry, Ikari-san...you just bring yourself. That'll be all you need!" And just like that, Aida continued devouring his lunch.

_...what have I signed up for?_ Shinji robotically ate another piece of his sushi roll. _Well...at least he's offered to buy dinner...so, at least that's a positive?_

xxxx

Shinji's second day at Hakone Academy came to an end, and sure enough, he was proverbially whisked away by Kensuke Aida...well, no, that wasn't accurate. Aida had just moved with a sense of excitable energy, and he had followed along because he had said he would. It's not like he had anything better to do...at least, not until NERV finally called to collect their due _and that just sounded depressing.  
_  
These thoughts percolated in his mind as they rode the public bus to the apartment blocks that sat in tight clusters to along Lake Ashi's western shores. _At least the view's nice_, thought Shinji with a sense of casual acceptance, as if commenting on the weather or the geography was all he could muster the energy for. Maybe he was just saving himself for whatever crazy thing Aida was wanting to show him?

Yeah, that sounded good. Speaking of which...the bespectacled boy had been rather quiet during the trip, sitting with a sense of nervous energy. Was he psyching himself up? Was he that anxious? Shinji had no idea why; it wasn't like he was that big of a deal...Evangelion and _other things_ aside...

xxxx

_A sardonic chuckle, knowing and...rueful?_

_"__**How often you wished that you weren't anyone special...**__"_

_The chuckle suddenly stopped._

_"__**And yet you chose nonetheless, in **__**spite**__** of yourself...correct?**__"_

xxxx

A sense of weary resolve settled in Shinji's gut as he followed Kensuke up the stairs to his apartment. He impulsively went to remove his shoes upon entering-

"Leave them on."

"Eh?"

Aida was looking back at him with a barely-restrained expression of...apprehensive glee? Joyous jitters? "We might need them where we're going."

"...where are we going?"

"Oh, I think you know. I get why you probably don't like talking about it, but it's why I wanted you to come along, right?"

_...what is he talking about?!_ Shinji could have asked some important questions. Probably _should have_. And yet, instead of asking, he followed Kensuke into his room, blinking and marveling at the clutter of computers and tech occupying what appeared to be an _entire wall. _Of pride and place was the large flat screen television that sat at about waist height. "...that's a lot of stuff."

"Yeah...it is, ain't it?" Aida inhaled. Exhaled. Trying to calm himself down, but _for what?_ "Dad thinks it's just a hobby...I guess it started that way...but if it'll help me get what I want, then _maybe..._ah, I'm rambling now. Sorry. Kinda nervous."

"...why?"

Aida actually grinned. "Man, you're just a stone-cold kinda guy, aren't ya? But hey, this is all second nature to ya, right?. I bet the things you've seen are _crazy._"

Shinji blinked dumbly.

His lack of a response only seemed to _encourage _his roommate, bizarrely enough. "Now...to take the plunge." Kensuke turned on his large TV monitor, stepping back as it slowly flickered on, glowing brightly. To Shinji's surprise, Kensuke actually wrapped his right arm around his shoulders, gripping tightly and _ouch it was actually kind of hurting_. "Sorry. Emotional support. I'm actually _really_ nervous."

"..._why?_" he asked, now insistent. The thought that maybe Kensuke Aida was kind of crazy finally hit him, but he was _just a junior high schooler_, there was surely nothing to worry about, right-?

Then the television _spoke_. "**Cognitive tunneling: permitted.**"

Shinji's eyes widened. That voice, it was like when Misato had-!

"Well, _here we go._ Please take care of me, senpai!" exclaimed Aida.

Strangely, it was _that_ exclamation which finally got Shinji to ask a question. "Wait a minute, how am I your senpai, _we're in the same grade-!_"

His question was cut off as Kensuke Aida all but dragged him along, falling _into the television WHAT WAS __**HAPPENING-?!  
**_  
And just like that, the two teenagers had vanished from reality.

xxxx

Elsewhere within the real world, Rei Ayanami suddenly paused, having been walking aimlessly around the Hakone Academy campus.

Shinji Ikari's presence had vanished from her senses...the explanation was immediate, yet no missions or excursions had been authorized...?

The blunette sighed. "Trouble seems to follow him, no matter what..." Resigning herself, Rei turned towards the Izanami Dorms.

She needed to get her gear.

xxxx

There were no whispers this time; no flickers in the shades of crimson and gold, as reality slowly peeled away around him; this time, there was only the sensation of _falling_, as the real world was forcefully ripped away-

SMACK.

"...ow..." grumbled Shinji, slowly sitting up. "What just happened...?" He looked around, trying to ascertain his surroundings. Although various computer monitors and mechanical circuitry lined the walls, the sepia tone that colored everything, and the wavy flashes of black smoke and ash were enough to clue him in as to where he had ended up.

"...so, this is the Metaverse, huh?" Shinji turned, realizing that part of the apartment had seemingly fallen away, revealing the outside world: the black and red sky, the orange tendrils digging into the distant buildings of Tokyo-3, the great sphere of the Anti-Terror Task Force, the wandering rainbow eyes; those were familiar features. However, from here, he could also see the cognitive double of Lake Ashi: the water was a bright and bloody orange color, reflecting a sky mixed with puffy clouds instead of the strangely terrifying tableau above. Kensuke Aida stood at the edge, looking...though, for _what, _Shinji had no way of knowing. "Man, the artist renderings and documentaries don't even come _close_..."

"...how did we get here?" How did Kensuke Aida have a way to get here? Hadn't Dr. Akagi said that one needed the MAGI to enter the cognitive world?! "How...?"

Aida turned around, a tired yet satisfied smile on my face. "I put in for a lot of the tests, you know? To see if I could be selected to joint the Anti-Terror Task Force, to see this place with my own eyes. Always got turned down, though...was told I didn't have the right stuff. But the right stuff can come later, you know? All I wanted was a _chance_...and now I've got one."

"A chance for _what?_"

"To find my Shadow, of course. All I gotta do is find it, make it my friend, and then _boom!_ Instant Persona!"

"...uh..."

"And that, my dear roommate, is where _you_ come in!" Kensuke smiled, looking awfully satisfied with himself. "I gotta say, NERV's got a reputation for being secretive with its stuff, but the way they introduced you to Tokyo-3 was kind of obvious, wasn't it? A big Angel Syndrome incident that ends with a rail car exploding...and then two days later, a kid sharing the same surname as NERV's leader transfers into our school, all calm and aloof? It just screams _super secret agent!_"

For once, Shinji was actually at a loss at how someone's perceptions could go so _fantastically_ askew. "...eh?!"

"Maybe that's why I felt so easy around ya; you're so mellow! For my first ever foray into the Metaverse, I knew I had to get the help of an _expert._"

_...oh._ So that was why...? Then...oh _no.  
_  
"So, what do you say? Feel like helping a kid out?"

Kensuke had gotten the _entirely wrong idea.  
_  
"Maybe we can make a thing out of this, go exploring! Maybe you can teach some of the tools of the trade? I'll make sure to return the favor when I make it to the big leagues!"

And of course, it fell to the him to be the harbinger of disappointment. "...Aida-san..." He breathed deeply, telling himself that running away wouldn't help. "...my first time going into the Metaverse _ever_ was only two days ago." His breath slipped away, along with his confidence. Yet, somehow, he managed to keep talking, if only because his words didn't paint a good picture of himself. "I...I don't even have a _Persona_ of my own." Shogoki didn't count, in the cognitive world...could he even summon his Evangelion, here? "...I'm...sorry to disappoint you."

If he had to be honest, Shinji had never seen someone deflate so _spectacularly_ before. "...oh."

xxxx

Back in the real world, Kensuke Aida's room was empty of organic life...and yet, it was not _empty._

_sssh_

_sssh_

_SSSH  
_

**_SSSH_**

The sharp static accompanied all colors bleeding away from the world, muting the very atmosphere and inherent character of the room...fitting, for the presence that had manifested there.

There was a brief patch of void, floating like a mote of dust. Something flashed out of it, as quick as a striking serpent.

_Snikt_, went the power cord to Kensuke's modded television set, cut in twain. With a putter, the device powered down, the portal drawing down to a mere pinprick, and then to nothing.

The void vanished, and color returned to the world.

The air smelt of satisfaction and anticipation.

xxxx

In the Metaverse, the portal that Shinji and Kensuke had fallen out of suddenly vanished.

Kensuke went from deflated to _brown pants_ in a matter of seconds. "..._oh_. Oh _shit._"

"...that's not what I wanted to hear," murmured Shinji, trying not to panic, no matter _how much he wanted to._

xxxx

Kensuke Aida had a certain conception of how things were supposed to go. He had cross-referenced available media regarding the Anti-Terror Task Force, from news articles and editorials to shoddy cell phone videos of agents emerging out of thin air. He had read personal accounts of A.T. agents facing down Acolytes, of their struggles against the Ghosts. He had gleaned what he could from his workaholic father regarding NERV's contributions in the struggle against Angel Syndrome, which were slowly becoming more and more public.

And that was even going into his mother and _her_ influence.

Alas, right now, Kensuke Aida felt like a big screw up, because his portal connecting reality and the cognitive had inexplicably _died._ "...okay...just a minor setback..." He could work with this. _They_ could work with this. "...no need to panic..." There were bound to be A.T. agents on duty throughout Tokyo-3's cognitive double. All they would have to do is catch the attention of one of the many Ocular Drones on patrol, and _hopefully_ not get into too much trouble. _Aw man, I am SO grounded for this._ Thinking about being grounded was good, a net positive, even! After all, the cognitive world could reflect his own thoughts, and being calm was something that A.T. agents were _always_ taught-

"Uh...Aida-san?"

-because if you couldn't keep calm, your own thoughts could quite _literally_ turn against you-

"Aida-san?!"

-and there was no way that was going to happen to him, he knew what he was doing, he was going to find his Shadow and he was going to be a _hero-!  
_  
"AIDA-SAN!"

"I'm thinking, what is it?!" Kensuke looked towards the boy-who-was-actually-not-the-badass-he-assumed and promptly blanched. "...oh." Tiny Archetypes were beginning to emerge out of thin air, from cracks in the floor and gaps between furniture.

"**He thinks he's a big man...**" chirped a tiny little snowman, wearing blue elfin cloths. A Jack Frost. And there were quite a few of them.

"**Big man, ****_strong_**** man...but he's in over his head,**" laughed a dark-bodied woman with feline features and white fur, with piercing yellow eyes. A Nekomata. Also tiny, but why were they growing?

"**Too big for himself!**"

"**Maybe we should cut him down to size, put him in the place where he belongs!**"

Kensuke gulped as they started getting to more 'typical' sizes. Not that he had a proper baseline of what he was even _doing_, oh gods, why had he come here this was such a damned foolish _idea-!  
_  
Before his panic could grow, his vision was partially blocked by Shinji Ikari's back. "...what are you...?"

xxxx

Shinji Ikari stared at the Archetypes, which seemed to react to his movement with suspicion. Possible animosity. _They never acted like this around Misato-san._ Then again, Katsuragi was grown-up. She might have had her act together, thus mollifying the rampant offspring of unconscious human thoughts. Aida, apparently, had no such control. _What am I doing?  
_  
What was he doing, indeed...

xxxx

_"__**Quite simple: what you must. That's what you accepted, correct?**__" The voice belonged to someone who looked like him...no, _was_ him. On some deep and fundamental level. "__**Even in the face of something unknown, something frightful...**__"_

_"...what else am I going to do?"_

_"__**You could always run.**__"_

_The very idea made him want to wretch._

_"__**Ah...such an impulsive disgust, for that facet which you despise the **__**most**__**."**_

_...I swore I wouldn't run...not anymore..."_

_"__**And when did you **__**make**__** that oath?**__"_

_He couldn't remember._

_His yellow-eyed double smiled."__**I suppose you still forget yourself...but that is fine. You accepted the pains that would come with the choices you make.**__"_

_"...I did, didn't I...?" There was a weight to these hidden, secret words, known by none but himself. "...and yet...I still don't know where I'm going..."_

_"__**There are more things in the realms of the gods and the lands of the dead than you have ever conceived or dreamed of, and yet here you are.**__" His double stepped forward. "__**Dark is the shadow of the dream you carry; heavy is the weight upon you; even so, standing aside was something you swore to no longer do...am I wrong?**__"_

_He wasn't sure. Maybe he never would be. "...but I'm here, aren't I?"_

_"__**...an acceptable answer, for your current state. But look around you: we are in a realm of infinite imagination, constrained and bound by a wicked design. On the outside...your soul, with all its bestial rage and impassioned bulwarks, could protect the **__**you**__** that thine own self has conceived...but now, in the face of a realm where the spirit means nothing, and all you have is your mind...can you still find the strength to stand?**__"_

_"...yes." He had come here for a reason. He had come for something **i**__**mportant**__. And besides...he couldn't leave Kensuke Aida alone, in spite of himself. "...I do."_

_"__**Very good. Then let us recall our **__**oath**__**."**_

xxxx

...he was doing whatever he could do.

The Archetypes suddenly seemed to hiss at him. "**Those eyes!**"

"...Ikari...?" dumbly murmured Kensuke Aida, transfixed by what was happening before him.

Shinji pressed a hand against his temple...

xxxx

"**_I am thou. Thou art I. Thou art one who has been called to make decisions no child should make. Thou, who has stood aside for long enough, waiting for the world to decide for him! Reject that wretched philosophy, that coward's creed..._**"

xxxx

...and it _phased_ into his head, gripping onto something tightly. There was none of the violence and brutality of Shogoki's awakening; there was simply the seamless removal of a blazing _spark_ of blue fire, living within the palm of his hand.

xxxx

_"__**...and regardless of what may come...CHOOSE FOR THYSELF!**__"_

xxxx

"Take a stand..." Shinji clenched his fist, breaking the orb into tongues of fire. "...**HAMLET!**"

The fiery wisps grew and blossomed, taking a more tangible form: the very room itself seemed to expand to accommodate his presence, standing tall at twelve feet. Clad in a dark blue tunic with green leggings and a white cravat, wearing a royal purple cloak billowing with unseen force; truly, the figure was a mesmerizing sight, also wearing a golden amulet with a triad of gems: sapphire, ruby, and amethyst. Within his right hand was a simple Carolingian-style sword, with little ornamentation on the hilt and grip; within his left hand was, startlingly enough, a human skull. The cowl of the cloak covered his head, leaving only a faceless mask of ivory; its only features were two eye holes, allowing piercing yellow irises to gaze with impunity. "**I am the tragic prince: ****_Hamlet!_**" The figure turned towards Shinji Ikari, speaking aloud so that all could witness. "**If you so choose, I shall grant you the power to see this through to the end...but you must decide.**"

Kensuke couldn't see Ikari's expression from behind, even as the ethereal flames began to dissipate, and _hey_ he had different clothes _darn it Kensuke, focus!_ His thoughts were interrupted by his roommate's calmly answered, "you know what I choose."

"**Say it aloud, so that none may doubt!**"

"...then yes. I will use your power, if you'll have me."

"**And so the die is cast!**" exclaimed Shinji Ikari's Persona, turning his piercing gaze towards the Archetypes that had been watching with trepidation. "**Depart, or suffer the consequences!**"

"**...oh yeah?**" retorted a Jack Frost. "**Try this on for size! ****_Bufu!_**" An orb of living ice shot from the snowman's palm-

SMASH!

Hamlet's sword slashed through the icy sphere, nullifying the attack before it could strike. "**You were warned.**" He held the skull forward, from which a horrid light shined. "**_Mudo!_**" A sickly aura erupted from the skull, striking the Jack Frost and wrapping around with flickers of red and black...and in the blink of an eye, the Archetype faded away into wisps of black fog.

The other Jack Frost and Nekomata Archetypes suddenly seemed less sure of their chances, despite the numbers advantage.

Hamlet did not wait. "**_Tentarafoo!_**" This time, the skull flashed a stark yellow, and it looked like a switch had been hit; the Archetypes now seemed to shrink in upon themselves, fear and panic evident upon their faces.

Ikari finally spoke, strangely more intimidating for how calm and pleasant he sounded. "Please leave."

The Archetypes did so, fleeing the room without hesitation, dispersing into stray bits of cognitive thoughtstuff.

The battle cut short, Shinji Ikari's Persona turned back towards them, looking down upon the boy that he had emerged from. "**Remember your choices, no matter what may come.**" Hamlet dissipated in a flash of blue fire, yet his presence still clung to Shinji like something tangible, something real.

The young man in front of Kensuke sighed. "...that felt...weird..." Ikari slowly turned around, looking at him with nervous eyes. "Are...are you okay?"

"...am I okay? Am _I _okay?" An impulsive grin came to Kensuke's face, his own doldrums temporarily suspended. "That was AWESOME!"

"...eh?"

"Oh come on, that was as epic as all get out! What with the dramatic timing, the authoritative tone, and your last words!" Kensuke modulated his tone, trying to mimic Shinji's pitch and timbre. "_Please leave._" His smile returned. "That was just so _classy!_"

"...I...I guess...?"

"And you're sure that was your first time calling a Persona?!"

"...yes, I'm pretty sure it was."

"...well, faulty assumptions on my part aside, you still did great! Like I thought you would! Although..." He briefly took in Shinji Ikari's appearance, trying hard to square his roommate's current image with the cool look of the A.T. agents, and failing rather spectacularly. "...your Metaverse get-up's not what I expected it to be."

"Huh?" Shinji finally looked down upon himself, as though suddenly realizing his outfit had changed, _and_ that he was holding a weapon. Of sorts. "What the?!"

"Within the Metaverse, whenever Persona-users call upon their inner power, their appearance shifts to reflect their self-image. Anti-Terror agents go through a lot of mental training and self-discipline to get a uniform look, but they _all_ have some quirks that shine through..." Kensuke was honestly at a loss for words, because how in the world did Hamlet correspond to _this?_ "...I just didn't expect yours to be so..._domestic?_"

Indeed; clad in sturdy brown boots, weathered workman's jeans, and a long-sleeved white shirt, Shinji looked the part of your average manual laborer. The _shovel_ he held in his right hand only added to it. The two clashing items were the fact that he wore yellow latex _cleaning gloves_, as well as light blue _apron,_ which actually bore the words 'PLEASE DON'T HURT THE COOK'...and, right beneath it in smaller font, '**he makes all your food**'. It was a different kind of laborer, yet the whole vision could be summarized rather succinctly, as Kensuke proved when he blurted out, "you kinda look like a house husband." _Damn it mouth, why do you say things?!  
_  
Fortunately, Shinji Ikari didn't seem upset. Rather, he just looked down at himself with a more appraising glance. "...I...kind of like it, actually."

Kensuke didn't know whether to be amused or bewildered by that admission.

xxxx

**TO BE CONTINUED**

xxxx

/June 9 ended up going longer than expected  
/this seemed like a good place to stop


	5. Tuesday - June 9, 2015: Part 2

**Kensuke's Log: January 1, 2015**

**Well, another year has started, and it opens with an incident of Angel Syndrome in Cairo-2. It was in one of the slums, from what I've been able to glean. Reported casualties were in the hundreds before the Egyptian government put a moratorium on all news coverage. Don't even want to imagine how many Ghosts will spawn from an attack like that.**

**I sometimes wonder just how bad it's going to get. Tokyo-3's a pretty well-run ship, given NERV's presence here. The Anti-Terror Task Force agents that are stationed here also seem to be a cut above the norm. Makes me wonder if NERV has a secret weapon that they're working on, that justifies all the government money being poured into it. Not that I would know anything about that. I mean**

***a significant chunk of text on the journal page features eraser marks and heavy pencil scratches, rendering it illegible***

**I guess rambling won't do me any good! I'm just gonna keep working on my project. Once it's done, I'll be able to make a difference. I'll be able to be a hero!**

**I bet mom would be proud of me.**

**I know she would.**

***certain doodles are erased and crossed out***

xxxx

/Room 1, 2nd Floor, Izanami Dorms, Hakone Academy/

Rei Ayanami stood within her dorm room alone; this was not unusual, for she had no roommates.

She had never had any, during the entirety of her academic career. But that was fine with her; roommates were unnecessary, relative to the weight of her duty.

However, there were times where...no. Wishing would accomplish nothing, and she had learned her lessons about what active interference would do; she had her role to play, and nothing more. How everything would pan out was left to the whims of fate.

As she prepared to enter the cognitive world, her NERV issue cell phone buzzed. She quietly read the message, resisting the urge to curse.

**PATTERN BLUE DETECTED  
PRELIMINARY LOCATION: HAKONE-KINTOKI STATION**

_Back there again?_ To strike again so soon was unusual...unless it was related to the prior attack. That was a likely possibility...after all, no one had the senses of an Evangelion-user. _Perhaps I will see what was left of the creature that Ikari fought._ But the timing was _highly _inconvenient; somehow and some way, Shinji Ikari was somewhere within the Metaverse. Given his relative inexperience, being in there alone was intolerable...and if he was _not _alone, then clearly he was with someone unscrupulous or lacking in sense. _Who to aid first? Ikari may be able to provide me backup...but that would be time wasted, when I could be tracking the source of the Pattern Blue._ The A.T. agents could adequately deal with any Acolytes, and she would still be around to deal with any Ghosts...but the cause of it all might not wait around for long. _This is an opportunity I can't waste...  
_  
"_You look like you're in a bit of a pickle._"

Rei's eyes narrowed; she turned on her heels, glaring at the creature sitting on her bed. "...why are you here, Pen-Pen?"

The penguin in question stared at her with inquisitive green eyes, the claws on his right flipper actually tapping against the sheets of her bed as though they were fingers. "_Just thought I'd be a good sport, that's all. I know what you WANT to do, and I know what you HAVE to do...I could easily help you accomplish both...for a price._" The penguin leaned forward, penning her down with his mysterious stare. "_How about a deal? I help you out, and you'll owe me a favor in the future...sounds fair, right?_"

Rei frowned, as she weighed her options...but time was of the essence. "Very well."

"_See, it's so much easier when we can be friendly, don't you agree?_" The penguin loosed an audible "wark" to signify his pleasure.

xxxx

/Kensuke's Apartment, the Metaverse/

"Okay, so let's recap!" Kensuke Aida pointed dramatically at Shinji Ikari. "You've got yourself a Persona. Which means you're in a prime position to help me find my own Shadow!"

Shinji, busy inspecting his gloves, suddenly blinked. "...wait, I am?"

"But of course! It's why I selected you to assist me in this momentous endeavor!"

"Momentous?"

"See, finding one's Shadow is kind of a big deal. If I'm gonna get a Persona of my own, I have to find my Shadow Self, experience a journey of self-discovery, accept it, and BAM! You've got a recipe for amateur heroism!"

Shinji blinked. "...how?"

Aida wrapped an arm around his shoulders, redirecting him towards the missing wall of his cognitive apartment. "See that big giant sphere over there?" he asked, pointing towards the floating colossus bearing the Anti-Terror Task Force's logo. "That right there is the _Tokyo-3 Cognitive Protection Center_. What do ya think is in there?"

"...um, I'm not sure."

"Really?"

"...really."

"Huh. Guess they haven't explained it to you. Mandatory municipal civics lesson for us when we were first-years. Bet they'll get to it eventually." Aida readjusted his glasses, adopting an explanatory tone. "_So!_ Suffice to say, most of the city's populace have their Shadows cooped up in there, for protection basically. Lessens the likelihood of nefarious ne'er-do-wells doing something to their cognitive selves. Tokyo-3 was sort of the proof of concept, and it's been duplicated in some manner in a lot of other places..."

"...is your Shadow _up there?_" Shinji suddenly felt less sure about this 'momentous endeavor'.

His bespectacled roommate actually laughed. "Of course not! Otherwise I wouldn't have bothered coming here."

"...how do you know it's not there?"

Kensuke Aida grinned; it was the smile of a kid who couldn't wait to let you in on a secret. "Because the A.T. Task Force always informs you if your Shadow has been taken under their protection. By mail, as a matter of courtesy, and to serve as an official notice. Makes things simpler from a legal standpoint...however much of a legal standpoint there _is_ in the cognitive world. It's all kinda touch-and-go as we go along...like real life, I guess."

"And you know this, _because_...?"

"Because my dad was served a notice when his own Shadow became a tenant of the Cognitive Protection Center...and _I've _never gotten one." Aida's grin stretched even more, even as he fidgeted in place from sheer energetic glee and nervous tension. "Which logically means that my Shadow _hasn't been found yet_."

"...and...how are _we_ going to find it?"

"By good old-fashioned exploration, naturally!"

"...ah." _I'm not sure what I was expecting.  
_  
"Well, let's get going! Time's a-wasting!"

xxxx

/Hakone-Kintoki Station, Tokyo-3/

Rei Ayanami stared quietly at the police officers that had set up a cordon around the train station, over two blocks away in every direction. A few hazmat-clad bodies laid cold and still, reduced to macabre ornaments; another one was still standing, twitching wildly and madly. This one was bound within a triad of chains, courtesy of three plainclothes A.T. agents. The only reason they were able to even keep him bound at all was due to the efforts of their fellows in the cognitive world.

She closed her eyes...

xxxx

_A brief sensation, a brief vision, of the other side. Eight A.T. agents - bearing their uniform cognitive wardrobes, but each with their own distinctive features - had surrounded a hulking monster. Misato Katsuragi was one of them._

_The monster was a Shadow, empowered by something otherworldly, bearing an avian mask over his face. Each movement caused the cognitive world to ripple around him; however, the efforts of the A.T. agents and their Personas were mitigating the collateral damage, even as they slowly whittled away at the corrupted Shadow._

_But her senses turned towards the event horizon that had surrounded Hakone-Kintoki Station._

_There was a gap. Small, and trifling...but a gap, nonetheless._

xxxx

...and came to a decision. _They can handle the Acolyte without me. There is a more pressing target._ She calmly stepped around the three A.T. agents that had bound the Acolyte in reality; they ignored her, for she was a known quantity in this city. Stepping towards the train station with determination, she aligned her own A.T. Field with the cognitive patterns of her mind, slowly yet surely synchronizing them...then, in the blink of an eye, she was in a world of grayscale.

Not quite the physical. Not quite the metaphysical. Not quite the cognitive. It overlapped all of them, to some degree; she had it on good authority that those witnessed her claimed that her very presence became as static, fading in and out instead of disappearing entirely as those who entered the Metaverse would.

Thus - her whole form blossoming with blue fire, clothing giving way to a white bodysuit that fit her like a glove - was Ayanami able to step through the cognitive event horizon that had surrounded the train station, delving into the gap betwixt thought and nonthought.

The alien geometries that awaited her on the other hand were unusual and jarring, but not unexpected: the innards of the void had the consistency of turbulent water, obedient to currents that held no sense of consistency or continuity. A trace glow of orange and red dominated, highlighting the creature that sat at the heart of this place. "...you have been gravely wounded, Angel."

The creature in question blinked curiously at her; the terror that Shinji Ikari had faced not three days ago had been gouged out along the torso, reflecting a near-fatal strike against the soul. The fringes of the scar were flickering wildly, as spiritual and mental flesh tried to mend itself back together.

"Ikari's ascendance must have been unexpected; such damage would render you unable to flee...so deep, that you had no choice but to attack again, to try and restore your corpus."

The avian mask seemed to leer at her, as the voice of one drowning finally spoke. "**_Thou knowest much, childe of Lilith._**"

Ayanami held her right hand out, flexing her fingers. "I shall finish what Ikari started."

"**_Thou shall not triumph. Thy fate hast been decreed._**"

"...perhaps," she acknowledged. "And yet I shall persist nonetheless." Then, without hesitation, she plunged her hand into her own womb. The pain was familiar, and expected, and thus she did not flinch.

With a vigor driven by the need to survive, the Angel got to its feet, fragments of its very being leaking out into the unreal water around them.

"Unleash thy despair..." murmured Ayanami as she withdrew her hand from her abdomen, holding a blazing orb of blue. "..._Zerogoki._"

From that orb erupted an orange cyclops, a titan born of sorrow and willpower; the void quivered, as her Evangelion clashed with the wounded Angel.

xxxx

Within the Metaverse, the Acolyte's Shadow suddenly began to quiver, hissing and vibrating with sudden seizures.

"The hell?" murmured Misato Katsuragi, letting Tokoyo stand protectively in front of her, both swords crossed to block a potential attack. "Be careful everyone, this is new!"

"Look!" yelled another A.T. agent, his Persona - a walking skeleton that was also on _fire_ \- preparing to unleash an Agilao. "The face!"

The face in question - that helm of bone, fashioned in the crude manner of a featureless _noh_ mask, with a long and thin beak - was sizzling, burning with blue fire. The Acolyte's Shadow howled not out of pain, but existential agony; the mask then began _sinking into the head_ of the Shadow.

_CRACK!  
_  
Shattering glass, or the breaking of bone; the sounds overlapped, as the Acolyte's Shadow dissolved into strands of black and red and orange.

xxxx

Within the real world, the Acolyte gurgled, and suddenly went limp, dead.

An A.T. agent sighed with relief. "Looks like they beat it," he said, unaware of the bizarre ending of their comrades' cognitive battle.

xxxx

Misato blinked. "That...that's new."

"Uh, Katsuragi?" asked another woman, her Persona - a winged, two-faced fairy - dropping glitter with every flap of her wings. "The dead zone's dissolving."

_What?!_ She turned with unabashed shock towards the cognitive double of Hakone-Kintoki Station, as did the rest of her colleagues; true enough, the cognitive void that had encompassed the train station for the past few days was wavering and fading away. The remnants of the station were ruined, almost swept away - as though the majority of the station had been atomized, an idea forcefully wiped down to its base axioms - and yet it was accessible. Traversable.

At its center were two flickering figures, standing on the threshold of different worlds: visible as through a glass darkly, not truly present in their fullness. However, one could still tell that it was Rei Ayanami and her Evangelion...and then they both vanished.

_...guess I'll need to get an explanation during the debrief,_ mused Misato, briefly resisting the urge to check her phone; she had never gotten a response from Shinji about the alert. _He was supposed to be here on standby._ Strictly to observe, but not participate; the kid was still too green. _Where the hell is he?  
_  
xxxx

Within the real world, at Hakone-Kintoki Station, Rei Ayanami's body once more manifested in its fullness, as mind and spirit withdrew. The sensation of destroying the Angel was...stark. She would have to provide a detailed report.

And yet, she could not help but think back to her 'deal'. _I hope that Pen-Pen will keep up his end of our bargain.  
_  
xxxx

Elsewhere, within the Metaverse, an Incubus yelped with agony. "**OW!**" yelped the demonic-looking Archetype, rubbing his head angrily. "**Who hits someone with a shovel?!**"

"I asked for you to please leave us alone," reminded Shinji, trying his damnedest to not look at the Incubus's...most _distinctive_ feature. "I will bring out Hamlet."

"**...you're just jealous of my magnificently majestic member,**" groused the well-endowed thoughtbeast, flying away.

Shinji sighed, rubbing his head wearily. _People's thoughts can be so...weird. I wonder if I have any Archetypes running around?_ "At least the Archetypes are beginning to leave us alone..." He hadn't even had to call out his Persona for the last few encounters!

"...starting to get a bad feeling."

Shinji turned towards Kensuke Aida, who was looking rather sullen. "How come?"

"Because we've scoured my entire apartment building from top to bottom, and we haven't found any hint of my Shadow!"

"...do you know it's going to be here?"

"Given how much time my thoughts have spent marinating this particular place, I would've thought..." The bespectacled boy frowned, kneading the bridge of his nose. "...maybe I'm operating on a faulty assumption _again_. It wouldn't be at the dorm, would it...?"

Shinji frowned, looking around with a measure of tentative unease; they were now standing outside of the apartment building, standing in a courtyard between a cluster of the high-rise structures. Myriad toy blocks and supersized Sentai figures dominated the tiny park in the courtyard, a possible reflection of the childish thoughts that often congregated there. "...are we going to walk back to the Academy? For that matter, how are we going to get out of the Metaverse?" Now that the overall strangeness of the day had become _slightly_ more mundane, he was able to think of more practical matters. Like _getting out of here.  
_  
"Well, we could always find the nearest A.T. agent. But if you're referring to an option that _wouldn't_ land us in a whole heap of trouble...I'm up for suggestions."

"...I was hoping _you _would have some."

"Hey, I'm not the one with a Persona!"

"You _know_ more about the Metaverse than I do."

Kensuke Aida balked. "W-W-Well...!" He at least had the decency to look somewhat embarrassed. "I know I was operating on _incorrect_ information...but you can't blame me, right?"

Shinji kind of wanted to. "You're the one who literally dragged me here," he murmured under his breath.

"_Sounds like you kiddos are looking for a way out?_"

The new voice prompted Shinji and Kensuke to look around; it sounded less hollow than the voices of the Shadows, less shallow...and yet it sounded rather close. "Hello?" he called out, gingerly feeling for the connection he had with his Persona, and _man_ was it weird to think about how quickly he had gotten used to that. "Who...who said that?"

"_A concerned stranger...but someone who could definitely be a friend._"

Aida frowned. "Sounds incredibly _suspicious._"

"_You're the tykes who decided to stomp around the Metaverse without a care in the world. Accessing this place without MAGI authorization? Tsk tsk...how __**naughty**__._"

_Where is it coming from? _Shinji slowly looked side to side and down and up and...wait. On the very tip of a heroic statue's spear: a tiny figure, about the size of a child. Some of the features were avian...why was he feeling a sense of deja vu? "...who are you?" he called out.

The tiny creature chirped, "_Naughty children normally get punished, but I'm here to be a teacher. A __**guide**__, if you will..._" He leapt down from the statue...

_**FWOOSH!  
**_  
...and erupted in blue fire before he landed, swelling up many times his original size. What stood in his place as the fire faded...

"What..." muttered Shinji, eyes wide.

"...the _crap?!_" yelped Kensuke.

...well, it certainly wasn't tiny. A hefty man-bird _thing_, clad in a purple tuxedo and white dress shirt, stood tall at seven feet; and man-bird - or was it bird-man? - was an accurate descriptor, for a penguin's beak covered most of his face, from the nose to the chin. The green eyes, however, were most certainly human, and seemed to blaze with passion and masculine fortitude. And...he had a red mohawk? A mohawk! And uh oh Shinji couldn't think anymore because the stranger began to _talk._ "_**...and it falls to someone like me to teach you little chickadees how to **_**fly**_**!**_" he boasted (gods, where had the baritone voice come from?!), gesticulating and posing bombastically with each word. "_**Mere boys, that's what you are! But if you follow my wise counsel...**_" He slammed his fists together, flexing so hard that it seemed like his chest was going to burst out of his uniform. "_**...then I shall teach you how to be MEN.**_"

The bird-man's mohawk then _twinkled_, with visual and audible stars.

"...um...Aida-san?"

"Yeah?"

"I think we've been in the Metaverse for too long."

"...me too."

The tuxedo-clad bird-man huffed, facing them head on and now Shinji could see that the sides of his beak actually had a curly crimson _mustache_ growing out of its sides _and_ the bird-man was talking again. "**_You look like quite the pair of rapscallions. What brings you into the Metaverse by yourselves?_**"

Shinji impulsively answered, "Aida-san brought me here to find his Shadow."

"IKARI!" yelped Kensuke, sounding betrayed.

"What? We _were._"

"We have no idea who this guy is! If he's an Archetype, he's not one _I've_ ever read about before...and if he's a Persona, then there's someone watching us that hasn't made themselves known-"

"**_Hah! The mind that would have _****me****_ as a Persona would be impossibly magnificent._**"

Kensuke's eyebrow twitched, continuing, "-and if he's an actual person, then their self-image is..._weird._"

"**_A rude fellow, aren't you? Didn't your mother teach you any manners?_**"

The bespectacled boy actually _recoiled_ at the comment. "You..._you-!_"

"Um," interrupted Shinji, raising his hand to try and curtail the sudden hostility that Aida was showing, "who...who _are_ you...?"

The bird-man chortled, and _why_ were their sparkles emanating from his head?! "**_My boy, you can call me _****_Mister P_****_. And right now, I'm here to simply satisfy a gentleman's agreement with a young maiden. But trust me; if you're going to keep making these sorts of jaunts into the cognitive realms without permission...you're going to need adult supervision._**" His eyes were actually _twinkling._ "**_And you'll find no better adult than _****me.**"

Shinji and Kensuke blinked, bewildered by...Mister P's..._behavior.  
_  
Mister P laughed. "**_You'll understand, in due time. Now then..._**" He vanished in a flicker.

TAP!

Sudden pressure to the neck, and _hey_ everything was going dark...

xxxx

...and then Shinji Ikari was awakening, nostrils assaulted by the smell of vehicle exhaust and human traffic. _What the...?_ He slowly sat up, looking around with confusion; Kensuke was sitting beside him on a bench - still asleep? Unconscious? Knocked out? - in a rather familiar bus station. _This is the closest terminal to Hakone Academy._ He had just left from here to Aida's apartment earlier this afternoon...hadn't he?

_Did I dream all of that? _A sudden vibration occurred, in his pants pocket. Slowly pulling out his NERV-issue phone, Shinji noticed that he had a bunch of new messages, mostly from Misato-san. First, an automated one from NERV:

**NERV: PATTERN BLUE DETECTED. PRELIMINARY LOCATION: HAKONE-KINTOKI STATION.  
**  
_...what?_ Then he turned to a bunch of messages from Katsuragi:

**MK: Hey Shinji-kun, follow Ayanami-kun to Hakone-Kintoki Station!  
MK: We've got an Angel Syndrome incident in progress!  
MK: Time to get your feet wet. :D  
MK: Let me know ASAP when you're on your way!  
**  
Then, another one cam about five minutes later.

**MK: respond  
**  
Then, three minutes later.

**MK: RESPOND  
**  
_...um...  
_  
Five minutes later.

**MK: I ****_swear_****, if you've gotten yourself kidnapped, you're in so much trouble! (-A-)  
**  
Shinji blinked, because, he technically _had _been kidnapped...hadn't he?

**MK: about to face the Acolyte, we're gonna have a serious talk later 3:|  
**  
Shinji paled, briefly feeling a spike of frustration with Kensuke's impromptu 'Metaverse abduction'. _Was I still receiving messages in the Metaverse? Did I not feel them at all?_ A question for later...though, it was very possible he had been too distracted to think at the time...if he had even been to the Metaverse at all.

Then, over an _hour_ later:

**MK: talked with Ayanami after the battle, said she didn't see you  
MK: if you don't respond soon, i'ma issue a bulletin saying that you were kidnapped  
MK: if you weren't kidnapped, respond NOW  
**  
Gulping, Shinji impulsively typed out a response.

**SI: sorry I'm okay  
**  
Moments later, his phone started ringing. _She's calling me._ With fear and trembling, he slowly pressed the 'answer' button. "Um...hello?"

"**Explain.**" Misato Katsuragi's tone was no-nonsense.

Shinji resisted the urge to flee in terror as he looked around, still not quite sure how much of the past afternoon had actually happened. "I...fell asleep at a bus terminal with Kensuke Aida...?"

Silence. Then, a stern, "**that was a bad lie and you should feel bad.**" He audibly winced, eliciting another response. "**Ayanami-kun told me that you were in the Metaverse. How?**"

"...um...I don't know, to be honest." So he _had_ been in the cognitive world; that hadn't just been a bad fever dream. "I think I went through a television set...?"

"**...we'll debrief tomorrow. And we'll make sure to emphasize the importance of ****_proper communication._**"

"I'm sorry." He really was!

There was a tired sigh from the other end. "**...I was worried, you know?**"

"...I'm sorry."

"**We'll talk about it tomorrow. Get some sleep; your Wednesday's gonna be a long one.**" And then she hung up.

Shinji looked at his phone, feeling somewhat dejected and conflicted. Not having anything better to do, he kept reading his messages...and saw only a few from Ayanami, sent during the long time gap after Misato's Acolyte message.

**RA: I have sent someone to retrieve you.  
RA: I advise caution.  
RA: We will talk soon.  
**  
And that was that. _Someone to retrieve me...?_ The phone buzzed again, indicating a new text. He then turned to the last of his new messages, sent from an unknown number, with no contact information at all. _Who...?  
_  
**?: Hey there, kid.  
?: Next time you see the red-eyed blunette, tell her I kept up my end of the deal, and that I'm looking forward to my favor.  
?: In the meantime, I have so much to teach you, it's not even funny.  
?: ****_Au revoir_****~  
**  
Shinji stared at the messages, trying to tie several things together. Could it be...? It was possible; he typed out a response.

**SI: is this mr. p?  
**  
Moments letter, his phone returned an automated message.

**ERROR: INVALID NUMBER.**

Shinji stared dumbly at his phone, trying to process the message; long enough, apparently, for Aida to wake up. "Man...talk about a weird dream..." The boy blinked, slowly taking in their surroundings. "...Ikari-san."

"Yes?"

"...did all of that happen...?"

"...I think so, yes."

"...huh." Aida readjusted his glasses, pulling out his phone and looking at the time. "...I think we should get back to the dorm."

"...yeah..." Sleep sounded _very_ good right now.

xxxx

_All throughout that day, eyes had watched Tokyo-3 from afar._

_Mental meanderings and physical perils and spiritual strife had been witnessed._

_Slowly, the eyes began to withdraw..._

xxxx

/Room 23, 2nd Floor, Izanagi Dorms, Hakone Academy/

Kaworu Nagisa opened his eyes. He had apparently fallen asleep at his desk again, in the midst of homework.

_How interesting_, he pondered, impulsively reaching for the stress ball with his right hand. Squeeze. Squeeze. Squeeze. _How very interesting._ Toji Suzuhara's snores were loud and grinding; the boy had worked himself to the bone with the track team, as per the usual pattern of late. Kensuke Aida and Shinji Ikari had yet to return.

Squeeze.

That name.

Squeeze.

_Shinji Ikari,_ thought Kaworu, gazing out the room's window; it offered a tranquil view of the waning moon, about four-tenths of the way full. Less than a week until the new moon. _I wonder...are you the one?_ He contented himself with a small smile, releasing the stress ball. _I suppose we'll have to wait and see, won't we?  
_  
And so he continued his studies.

xxxx

/KiKi Ichibanya, Outskirts of Hakone Academy/

The siren call of returning to the dorms for precious slumber had been checked by something more immediate: _hunger._ Apparently, traversing the Metaverse could work up a surprising appetite.

Besides, Aida had insisted.

"You didn't have to," murmured Shinji, watching the waiter bring their food over.

"I said I'd pay for dinner, and I'm a man of my word."

The silver-haired waiter placed their bowls down: curry rice with pork _tonkatsu_ for Shinji, and omelette rice topped with red curry for Kensuke. "Please enjoy," he graciously said, quickly withdrawing to help another customer.

Shinji briefly pondered the young man's features - were his eyes really the same color as his hair, and _why_ did someone have gray hair so young? Important questions like that - before Kensuke's exclamation of "_itadakmiasu!_" stirred him from his musings. Saying the same, the two boys quickly tore into their respective meals without looking like they were starving.

After a few minutes of eating, Aida outright said, "Um...so, I kinda got ahead of myself, today." Shinji shot him a brief look, not trusting himself to be cordial at the moment. It helped that he was currently chewing; apparently, the bespectacled boy got the message. "You ever focus on something for so long that you lose all sense of everything around you?"

"...maybe."

"Well, when it comes to the Metaverse...that's been me. And I made so many assumptions about you that, well...it wasn't cool. And there are enough people that have made assumptions about Toji and Nagisa-kun that I should know better."

Shinji arched an eyebrow; Kaworu Nagisa he could understand, but Toji? "Assumptions about Suzuhara-san?"

"Not my story to tell, but don't let the jock appearance fool you. He's actually not a meathead. And Nagisa-kun...well, the jury's still out on him. Cause he _is_ kinda weird. But he's been nothing but pleasant to us. And sometimes, people like to talk, and guess, and spread rumors. School life, you know?" A brief nod was the only answer he gave, which was enough for Aida to continue. "Should've known better, but I made the same mistake...and it could have cost us big. So..." With a forced calm, Kensuke Aida slightly pushed his bowl aside, and removed his glasses...

SMACK!

...and bowed as best as he could, bringing his face _hard_ down onto the table. "Please forgive my transgressions!"

Shinji stared, rather flummoxed by the forceful apology. Their waiter walked by - hands full with a tray full of curry rice orders - and commented, "please don't harm table-kun. He's done nothing wrong," before moving on to fulfill his orders. And _still_ the awkward silence continued.

Kensuke Aida did not rise.

It had been a full twenty seconds. Finally, Shinji forced himself to break the nervous tension, if only for the sake of his own anxiety. "...um...all is forgiven. Just...please don't kidnap me again?" That would do, right?

Aida rose, his forehead bearing a rather large red spot. "Done and done!" He put his glasses back on, a more familiar smile returning. "I will endeavor to warn you in advance before any future abductions!"

Shinji stared. That's...not what he had been hoping for.

"...that was a joke," quickly amended Aida, catching on to the fact that he had been taken _seriously_.

"Oh. Well...you _did_ kind of pull me into your television."

"...a fair point!" Kensuke loosed an abashed smile, rubbing the back of his head in a manner that Shinji would have called nostalgic. "Heh...it's been a crazy day, hasn't it?"

"...yeah..."

xxxx

And all the while, on a subconscious level, in words he had no way of knowing...a familiar voice spoke, within the depths of his being:

_I am __**thou**__, thou art I...  
Thou hast acquired a __**new**__ bond._

_It shall __**lead**__ thou to the truth  
that __**parts**__ the seas of depravity._

_Take hold of the __**Magician**__ Arcana,  
and let it __**guide**__ you  
to a new Promised Land..._

xxxx

"...it definitely has been," he conceded, taking another bite of his passable curry. "Hopefully tomorrow will be less crazy?"

"Life has no guarantees!"

"..."

"What?"

"Oh. Nothing..." _Maybe Misato-san will be gentle?_

xxxx

**END OF 6/9/2015  
**  
xxxx

/gonna head back to _Acts of an Old Exodus_ for a spell  
/see you soon, and please review!


	6. Wednesday - June 10, 2015: Part 1

_Sokila's smile was genuine._

_"Kensuke Aida...he's interesting, isn't he?"_

_She rocked back and forth on her heels._

_"And your Persona...Hamlet. That's a funny name."_

_She briefly fiddled with her silver hair, yellow eyes gleaming with curiosity._

_"So many strange things..."_

_The faint haze of blue began to brighten-_

xxxx

/Wednesday: June 10, 2015/

/Room 23, 2nd Floor, Izanagi Dorms, Hakone Academy/

Toji Suzuhara slowly sat up, every sense of his groaning from a dull ache. It made thinking hard...which was good. Thinking had been difficult, of late.

He slowly looked to his right, at the other bunk bed; Nagisa was sleeping soundly on the top bunk, stiff as a board (seriously, how in the world did his sheets always stay so damn _perfect?_ Did he not toss or turn at all?!). On the bottom...was the new guy, curled in on himself, yet already beginning to stir. _Shinji Ikari.  
_  
To think, barely a month ago, that bunk had been occupied by someone else.

xxxx

_The first year boy's dark brown eyes held a calm confidence. "The name's Kenji Tomochika. I'm in 1-C, Nagisa's class...oh, so you've already heard of him? That just minimizes the need for introductions!"_

_..._

_The sushi conveyor rolled along, as three boys conversed. Sort of. "You know, there is such a thing as trying too hard. You have to be calm and aloof, or else the ladies won't fall for you!" advised Tomochika with an air of passable sagacity. That Kensuke nodded along in seeming agreement only made it worse._

_..._

_Aw man, Tomochika actually looked _nervous. _"So...I've kind of got a thing for one of the high school teachers. Her name's Kawakami-sensei..."_

...

_"Well, I dare say that this will be one of the best years ever!" exclaimed Tomochika. He was inclined to agree; both of his best buds, in one dorm room? Dealing with Nagisa's quirks was a small price to pay. "To our second year, gentlemen!"_

xxxx

And now he was dead.

Toji grunted, his mood already beginning to darken. This whole funk he had been in was really starting to irritate him-

_Knock-knock.  
_  
"...what the?" Who would be knocking on their door at this time of morning? Grimacing, Toji rose from his bottom bunk, trudging with no great sense of urgency towards the door. Without even thinking, he opened it up, and...what was he looking at?

"Good morning, Suzuhara-san," said Rei Ayanami, dressed in her school uniform. Behind her were two burly men in black suits and sunglasses. "I am here to retrieve Shinji Ikari and Kensuke Aida." Her crimson stare was unflinching. "Could you please awaken them?"

Toji blinked. Quiet frankly, his gut response was perfectly reasonable. "**KEN!** WHAT THE HELL DID YOU AND IKARI _DO?!_"

xxxx

Shinji Ikari yelped, rolling out of bed out of shock from Suzuhara's shout. Face first into the floor, he went. _Ow._ Groaning, he sat up, looking towards the door with weary eyes. "Wha...?" Toji Suzuhara backed into their dorm room, intimidated by a wall of burly men and an adolescent girl. "...oh." He had the sneaking suspicion that Misato-san had something to do with this. "...um..."

Rei did not pause to look at him. Rather, she instead looked up at Kensuke Aida's bunk. "I know you're awake, Aida-san." The mound of blankets up top didn't budge. "You do not want me to get you down. It will be uncomfortable." No change in pitch or tone: her words were flat as ever. Perhaps that was why Aida slowly sat up, staring intently at her. "NERV has requested you for questioning about the events of yesterday."

"_NERV?!_" whispered Suzuhara. Well, shout-whispered.

"...do I have a choice?" grumbled the other boy.

"You do not," she plainly answered. "But I recommend that you do not struggle."

"Seriously, what did you two get up to yesterday?!" exclaimed the taller boy.

Shinji didn't know whether to answer his question or not. Judging by the brief look Ayanami shot his way, that would be a flat 'no', so he kept his mouth shut. "Come on down Aida-san. Time is of the essence."

Aida looked at her. Then at the two men in black suits, who had not said a word the entire time. Then at the window. Then back at the men. Then back at Ayanami. What was he thinking...?

Apparently, thinking of _escape_, as he wordlessly leapt up and jumped out of his bed-!

Ayanami jumped as well, straight up into the air. She grabbed Aida's right arm with one hand and placed the other along his back, redirecting his momentum straight down into the carpeted floor. POW, they went, as the blunette swiftly applied a hammerlock hold on the boy. "Ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow-!"

"I warned that it would be uncomfortable."

"...well, she certainly did," commented Kaworu Nagisa, apparently having woken up during the fracas.

"...can I at least change out of my sleeping clothes first?" Aida muttered.

"No."

And that was how Shinji found himself being frog-marched out of their dorm room alongside Kensuke Aida, their right shoulders gripped rather tightly by a man in black each. Rei Ayanami led the way down the hall, caring not for the stares of other boys who had been woken up by the commotion. _This is going to cause so many rumors,_ mentally groaned Shinji.

"Have a pleasant day, Shinji-kun, Kensuke-kun!" exclaimed Nagisa, poking his head out from their dorm room.

"IS NO ONE GONNA TELL ME WHAT'S GOIN' ON?!" screamed Suzuhara from within their room.

_...so many rumors._ This time, Shinji physically groaned.

xxxx

/Gendo Ikari's Office, NERV/

The room was rather dark. But this was by design, to allow Gendo Ikari to focus. Even if the ongoing conference call was with various industry heads and security consultants in the fields of Metaverse security and anti-Angel Syndrome R&D, their names were honestly meaningless in the grand scheme of things. Naught but obstacles amidst the drudgery. "I trust the testimony of Rei Ayanami, along with the after-action reports from yesterday's incident, will suffice to prove my point," he said, speaking into the two-way speakerphone.

"**And what point would that be?**" asked Ignorant Fool #1.

"The point that I've long held: that Angel Syndrome is directly caused by malevolent psycho-spiritual entities."

"**Hmph. This conjecture is not unique to NERV,**" retorted Arrogant Quisling #3.  
**  
"There are still manifold studies to be done. In all these years since Second Impact, we've yet to actually validate any direct evidence of these entities that NERV has alleged. Potential cognitive distortions, random spiritual fluctuations, and discordant Shadows are more feasible explanations for Angel Syndrome, instead of conjuring up a faceless boogeyman that no one can verify,**" challenged Impotent Idiot #2.

"The First Child's track record against Acolytes and Ghosts supports her expertise. You'll also note that the Second Child also believes that the 'Angels' are concrete entities, despite lack of any direct experience. The Anti-Terror Task Force is on the record for the quality of their battlefield performances, despite the relatively young age."

"**Relying on the words of mere children...what a world this is,**" bemoaned Sentimental Weakling #3.

"**In a world where children can wield Personas of their own, is it any surprise?**" said Cunning Deviant #7. "**A number of countries have already lowered the legal age of adulthood to compensate for this reality. However, I must ask: why exactly did it take so long for the First Child to finally obtain visual evidence of an Angel?**"

Guile Trickster #14 chuckled. "**Isn't it obvious? Rumors abound about the Third Child. A rather explosive end to an Acolyte on June 6, and then another one in the same location, mere days later? It would support NERV's conjecture, if the cause of the first incident was...sufficiently wounded to be caught during the second.**"

"**Indeed. The Third Child must be truly skilled,**" mused Cunning Deviant #4.

"The Third Child is still in need of more training."

"**It's getting to the point where NERV can't really justify keeping the identities of the Children from the public anymore, especially if your first two **wunderkinds** keep successfully defeating Acolytes and Ghosts. Certain A.T. agents are beginning to talk,**" advised Cautious Quisling #2.

"Publicity is hardly the objective. NERV will do what it must, as it always has," countered Gendo. "You can continue floating your various anti-Angel alternatives to your respective governments, regardless of their effectiveness, or lack thereof. It makes no difference to me."

"**You wretched-!**" sputtered Incensed Moron #21, as the entire conference call devolved into a messy cacophony of shouts and grumbles and indignation.

How tiresome. "I've provided all relevant information. I look forward to our next meeting. Have a good day, gentlemen." With that, he cut the line, and it was just Gendo Ikari in the dark. "...hm." It was all so tiresome.

Memories were fleeting, prone to inaccuracies. Yet they were all he had of _her_: the one person that had made life worth living. How long would it be, before even those finally faded into nothingness?

xxxx

_The jealous creature snarled impulsively._

_"__**NEVER! We will never give her up! We will never surrender to such base weakness!**__"_

_He gripped his chains, rattling them loudly._

_"__**We won't be like HIM. I refuse! Do you?!**__"_

xxxx

...a little while longer, if he had anything to say about it. Truly amazing, how far a human could persist on spite alone.

And so the Commander of NERV turned on the lights in his office, to continue with the work of the day.

xxxx

Shinji Ikari sat absolutely still, unwilling to move much. Even if Kensuke Aida's fidgeting in the seat beside him felt contagious, because this whole situation was _really uncomfortable. _Especially with Rei Ayanami staring unnervingly at him.

The men in black had taken them into Hakone Academy's parking garage, where activity had still been minimal so early in the morning. They had stopped by a _food_ _truck_, of all things...or so it had seemed. They had opened up the side, revealing an armored interior with two rows of seats facing each other. The men in black had swiftly disrobed from their jackets, ties, sunglasses, and earpieces, putting on colorful aprons with a stylized logo for their food truck (and why was he thinking about food right now, the food truck was _fake_) before hopping into the front seats of the vehicle, separated from the armored passenger compartment.

Aida had only whispered "I _knew_ it" in a triumphant manner before Ayanami had lightly pushed him towards the back seats. She had taken the middle row all to herself, and had proceed to stare quietly at them. Well, after telling them to put on their seat belts, of course.

Because safety was _important_, apparently.

He wished she would stop staring, until they got...wherever they were going to. NERV, apparently.

"How did you escape from the Metaverse?"

Her question jolted him and Aida into alertness. "Huh?"

"You escaped from the Metaverse yesterday. I would like to know the means by which you did so." She glanced towards his bespectacled roommate, and _boy_ he wished they had gotten a chance to get out of their sleeping clothes before leaving, this was _so awkward._ "A preliminary investigation of the Aida Residence unveiled the possible means of your entry, but not your escape, given the possible sabotage."

_That_ prompted Aida to speak. "Wait, you broke into my place?! Wait, _sabotage?_ Wait, _WHAT?!_"

"Your father's employment with NERV renders his private property searchable at any time, at least within the bounds of Tokyo-3."

"...ah..." The boy deflated. "...that...would have been good to know..."

Ayanami turned back towards him, with that _damnably creepy stare of hers._ And yet, he couldn't look away, as one mesmerized. And yet not...was it just because she was a pretty girl? He _hoped_ it was that simple.

(His sensei shook his head. "I suppose you _are_ getting to that age...then again, most young girls _would_ react that way with a compliment like _that._" What had he done wrong? All he had done was say that his classmate's new haircut had looked nice, and then all of a sudden she had thrown a carton of milk in his face! "I'll give you a brief crash course in the mysteries of women." Mysteries? Women? "And judging by that look on your face, you'll need it.")

He still didn't quite get it. The only conclusion he had gotten after that was that girls could be scary.

"How did you escape from the Metaverse?" she asked again.

Shinji gulped - telling the unsettling nervousness in his gut to _calm down_ \- and blurted out, "I think we got out because of a tuxedo-wearing bird-man called Mister P." A pause. "He had a red mohawk."

"...wow, you would be _terrible_ at going through an interrogation," muttered Aida, with some measure of awe.

"I was answering her question!"

"...I see. Do you recall the method?"

"I...think he knocked us out? Um, we were in the Metaverse, then everything went black...and then, next thing I knew, we were waking up on a bench in a bus terminal."

Ayanami let those words soak in, and marinate, and _stop thinking with food metaphors, brain! _"...I see." She leaned back, and why had he only noticed that her face hadn't changed expressions at _all_ during this entire trip? "I believe it will be likely that you run into this 'Mister P' again in the future. I would advise caution."

"...why?" asked Shinji.

"He is not what he seems."

Aida snorted. "That's rich, coming from you, ain't it?"

Ayanami somehow managed to _increase_ the creepiness of her stare, turning slowly towards Aida. Was it intentional?! Did all girls have this power, or was it just her? "I am unsure what you are implying, Kensuke Aida; son of the late Naomi Aida."

The boy's face took on an unpleasant pallor, before curdling with irritation. "If you think you can get me to talk by bringing _her_ up, then think again!"

"Your current suspicions of NERV are unfounded. Being difficult is pointless." Their vehicle slowed to a stop, and the wall separating them from the driver's compartment was knocked twice. Ayanami unbuckled herself, rising to her feet. "We must move quickly. Stand up."

Shinji did so dutifully, with Aida doing so more reluctantly. Without warning a panel in the floor of the 'food truck' opened up, revealing a well-lit tube leading...somewhere. "What is this?"

Ayanami answered by pushing Kensuke into it. "This means _waaaar...!_" he cried, fading away rather quickly. She then turned to him, expectantly.

Shinji jumped in without hesitation, resisting the urge to scream, even though he _really really wanted to _and never mind he actually was screaming.

xxxx

From the outside, it would have seemed as though a harmless food truck - marketing ramen and soba, one of many throughout the city - had paused at a busy intersection in downtown Tokyo-3, waiting for the light to turn green. It had stopped over an ordinary-looking manhole cover.

Ordinary indeed.

The light turned green, and the food truck puttered on. Little did outsiders know, that it had dropped off its three passengers already. And if anyone swore they heard screams coming from the manhole cover? Well, it's a busy intersection, there are bound to be people screaming.

NERV's towering headquarters loomed over, not even a block away.

xxxx

The tube deposited them - okay, more like spat them out, because it was _not_ a pleasant landing, despite the plush carpet - into a well-lit room, filled with _more_ men in black.

Dr. Ritsuko Akagi and Major Misato Katsuragi were _also_ there, and somehow looked even more terrifying.

"I have retrieved them," said Rei Ayanami, as she slid out into a standing position.

"Thank you, Ayanami," answered Misato, looking intensely at them both. "Welcome to NERV, boys."

xxxx

Shinji Ikari had gone with Misato Katsuragi, leaving Kensuke Aida behind. Whatever questions they were going to ask his roommate, he was not going to be privy to. They had ended up in a single room, which held only a table and two chairs. Misato had sat down on one side, and him on the other. "...how come you came here in your sleeping clothes?" she first asked, as though finally realizing his attire.

"...Ayanami-san insisted that time was of the essence."

She sighed. "_Ugh._ That girl could have given you three minutes to change. Whatever, we'll fix that later."

He resisted the urge to fidget in the chair. At least the room was at a reasonably comfortable temperature.

"Okay..." Misato pulled out a ball-point and a notepad. "Let's start with what happened yesterday after you two left the grounds of the Academy."

And so Shinji told her everything that he remembered: Kensuke's 'offer', the trip to his apartment, the portal in the television-

"Wait wait wait. You entered the Metaverse...through a _television?_"

"Um...yeah."

"...huh. Ritsky's gonna have a _field_ day with that one." Misato jotted down a few notes on her notepad. "So, where were we?"

-the emergence into the Metaverse, Aida's mistaken assumptions about his cognitive prowess, the emergence of his Persona-

"Hamlet..." Misato narrowed her eyes. "You awakened your Persona?"

"...yes?" Shinji fidgeted. "Um...is...is something...wrong?" Besides the fact that he had essentially been abducted by his...employer, maybe?

"No...just thinking. If that was your Persona, then you would've had to have met your Shadow."

"...but I didn't...?"

"I know. That's why it's unusual." Misato leaned back, staring distantly at the ceiling. "But...it does fit..."

"...what does?"

"...well, the fact that Evangelion-users differ from every other Persona-user on the record." She leaned forward, and _wow_ she could look intense. Why did that seem so off-putting, coming from her? "Not only did all of you manifest Evangelions _before_ entering the Metaverse...but there was never any documented encounter with your Shadow prior to manifesting a Persona. First Ayanami, then Asuka...and now you." A frustrated sigh slipped past her lips. "But how would we even be able to test for that...?"

"...uh, Misato-san...?"

"Hey now, we talked about this, right? Call me Misato!"

"...um, Misato-"

"Better."

It was hard, resisting the urge to deflate when he kept getting interrupted. "...is there something _different_, about me? Is that why I can I use a Persona, without finding my Shadow?"

"Probably. Hell if I know what it is. NERV's been trying to crack the secret of what makes Ayanami and Asuka so different from everyone else. If we could figure that out, then maybe Marduk's screenings could be fine-tuned, allowing us to identify more potential Evangelion-users...who knows? Maybe you're the missing link in all of it." She turned back to her notepad. "Anyhow, so after awakening your Persona, what happened?"

Well, what happened was that he had basically protected Kensuke while they searched for the boy's Shadow...then there had been the encounter with _Mister P_...and then the sudden reemergence into the real world. "And that's that."

"...Mister P, huh?" Misato's frown had become rather scary. "Kinda sounds like a creep."

"He...wasn't creepy. Just...strange? Weird?" That was as polite as he could get.

"But he sounds like someone with connections, to be able to enter the Metaverse at will like he apparently can. I already cross-referenced the surveillance videos from that bus terminal with yesterday's MAGI logs; there wasn't any evidence of cognitive tunneling being acknowledged like there was with your roommate's little television portal..." She briefly paused, muttering about how she couldn't believe she had just said those words, before continuing, "and the closed-circuit feeds showed a lot of transmission errors and glitches, including a period of pure static. One minute, the bench was empty...then after a whole minute of distortions, you and Aida were just sitting there, asleep, and no one around you acted as though this was strange." Her pen tapped the notepad rapidly. "Yeah. He sounds dangerous, all right...but what was that stuff about satisfying a _gentleman's agreement with a young maiden_?"

He thought back to the texts from yesterday. "Uh...after I woke up, I did get texts from an unknown number." He recalled the most important bits: a deal with a 'red-eyed blunette', a favor owed, and a promise of teaching. "I tried to respond back, but my phone said it was an invalid number."

"...yeah, that doesn't make me feel any better." Misato leaned back, eyes rife with suspicion. "A _red-eyed blunette_, huh?"

His brief conversation (as much as it could be qualified as one) with Ayanami from the ride over came to mind. "Um...Ayanami asked me and Aida about how we escaped from the Metaverse. When I told her about Mister P...she acted like she knew about him. Warned us that we would probably encounter him again. That he...wasn't what he seems."

"...gonna have to have a nice _long_ talk with her," muttered the Major, running a hand through her hair. "What a mess." Inhale. Exhale. She looked back at him, her gaze losing its intensity. "Okay, look...I'm not as mad as you think I am."

"...um...?"

"I was concerned when you didn't reply. And I honestly didn't expect that you'd be in the Metaverse during that time, without proper supervision...and I guess its partly my fault, for wanting to give you a little breather before your work with NERV really began in earnest. But with this _Mister P_ taking an interest in you, and with you having already awakened a Persona...we don't have that luxury anymore." Misato leaned forward, purple hair falling over her shoulders in waves. "I'm going to take you on a little trip to the Metaverse, to visit the Cognitive Protection Center. I'm going to show you a little bit of what the Anti-Terror Task Force does outside of dealing with Angel Syndrome...and hopefully give you an idea of why going into the cognitive world on your own is a bad idea."

Shinji impulsively looked down at his sleeping outfit: a rather plain T-shirt and a pair of shorts. Comfy, but...not really appropriate. "Is...it possible for me to have a change of clothes, first?"

Misato cracked her first genuine smile of the day. "I think we can do that."

xxxx

Meanwhile, elsewhere within NERV, Kensuke Aida was being interviewed-slash-interrogated by Dr. Ritsuko Akagi.

"Be honest, kid," droned the doctor, taking a drag on her cigarette. "Did you really think your entry into the Metaverse would have gone unnoticed?"

So far, it had been going about as well as one would expect. "...honestly, I kinda did."

"...for someone with a great deal of technical ingenuity, you're a bit of an idiot, aren't you?"

Kensuke's lips curled with irritation. "And you're kinda rude, aren't you?"

"I'm not the one who broke the law, either." She rested her chin in the palm of her right hand, cigarette hanging limply from her fingers. Trace smoke drifted away, much like his hopes and dreams. "For the son of not only a NERV employee, but a rather well-decorated A.T. agent as well, to pull a stunt like this?"

"...we didn't hurt anybody."

"And not a single court would care, either." She smirked bitterly. "Did you think you'd just be able to gallivant into the cognitive world, find your Shadow, get a Persona, and then _magically_ strut your stuff to join the Anti-Terror Task Force?" His mulish silence was answer enough for her, apparently. "Then again, I suppose kids these days aren't known for good sense."

"You want an apology?"

"I'd say no, even _if_ I thought for a second you'd be honest about it." The blonde looked over the various photographs taken from his apartment by NERV's investigators: his whole set-up, his makeshift portal, and the sliced _power cord._ "You're sure you hadn't told anyone else about your _project?_"

"I'm absolutely sure," he insisted. And for good reason. "Shouldn't you have people looking for who broke into my home?"

Dr. Akagi gave him a lazy glare. "You're not exactly in a position to give _any_ kind of demands. But, just to indulge you...exterior cameras around your apartment complex showed no one approaching or exiting your particular premises at the time you two were in the Metaverse."

"But someone had to have cut my power cord, darn it!"

"Maybe your work wasn't up to snuff."

Kensuke resisted the urge to tell the doctor off, because seriously, she had to be _trying_ to piss him off! "I did the best with what I could...but even a power surge wouldn't cause a clean cut like _that_." He pointed vociferously at the photo. "There's no fraying. No tearing. This was caused by _someone else._" And that, frankly, was something that perturbed him more than this whole proceeding with NERV did.

"You can believe what you want, because you're not going to have another chance. All of your equipment was confiscated. You'll also be signing a non-disclosure agreement forbidding you from talking with anyone else regarding the matter, under pain of possible fines or imprisonment...so basically, you're just going to have to deal with finishing out your school life like an average kid."

Every single word hammered at Kensuke, his vision narrowing down to a tunnel. _So...this is it._ The very first time he had managed to get into the Metaverse...and it had turned out like this. _I...I just wanted...to...to...damn it!_ The sheer unfairness of it all was eating at him, and made him want to cry. _I didn't hurt anyone! What harm was I doing to anyone?!_ His mother would have understood!

"...however..."

Kensuke blinked. "Eh?"

Dr. Akagi's tone was sly. Coy. Shrewd. "...given the portal that you developed, _and_ the fact that you've already entered the cognitive world? There are a few clauses that would qualify you for certain age waivers under the Cognitive Service Act. Your unauthorized work creating a portal could be retroactively authorized as an experiment at cognitive tunneling that was sanctioned by NERV. Your foray into the cognitive world would also receive NERV's stamp of approval, given that you were also in the company of an Evangelion-user."

...it was a blatant attempt at manipulation. But it also offered Kensuke a chance at getting what he wanted. "...anything else?"

Ritsuko Akagi huffed. "If I'm being honest, this is as much for NERV's benefit as it is for yours. I'm fairly certain you'd come up with another foolish scheme of some sort or another, and I wager it would have more disastrous consequences than _this_ one. I'd rather have your brains in our hands than in someone else's."

In some way, her bluntness was...kind of okay, in that it wasn't pretentious. He could work with that. A slim chance was better than none. "...well, my choice is simple then." He forced a smile onto his face. "Where do I sign up?"

Dr. Akagi rolled her eyes. "Arrogant kid. Just wait until you've been my intern for a week. But, that being said...welcome to NERV." She pulled a stapled packet of forms out from underneath a pile of photos and investigation reports. "Once you sign this, of course."

"...I have a question."

"Go ahead."

"...what in the world is an _Evangelion?_"

"Sign the contract, and I'll tell you all sorts of things."

xxxx

Shinji Ikari fidgeted with the NERV uniform he had been given; the beige jacket with orange shoulder stripes was a little large, but the similarly-colored pants were at least serviceable with the help of a belt. Still, it felt _weird_, on a base level.

However, the item currently taking first place on his Weird-O-Meter - hey, _there_ was an idea... - was a rather large device of some kind: a cylindrical plate with a radius of six feet sat underneath a number of pylons and diodes that were attached to a futuristic-looking device. It looked like something Kensuke Aida would have, except on a larger budget. Oh, and it was apparently a teleporter. "You have a teleporter."

"Yep!" chirped Misato Katsuragi.

"...how?" This seemed like something that would have gotten more _attention-!  
_  
"Just wait. Agent Misato Katsuragi, identification zero-one-whiskey-alpha-four: activate cognitive tunneling."

"**Cognitive tunneling: authorized.**"

The subtle whispers and alluring flickers of color began to sound, now somewhat familiar.

_zhuu_

_zhuu_

_ZHUU_

_**ZHUU**_

It was definitely a lot more pleasant than Aida's TV had been and _wow_ the teleporter was shining brightly. The sepia tone of the room was almost overwhelmed by the amount of energy roaring through the device's circuits. "Okay now," said Misato, now sporting her A.T. agent wardrobe, "onto the plate!"

Shinji dutifully followed, holding just a _little_ tightly on the woman's hand, while idly wondering in the back of his mind why his clothes hadn't change yet and _why was it smelling like furniture polish-?_

**_ZHYOOM!_****_  
_**  
xxxx

_**ZHYOOM!**_

-and just like that, Shinji and Misato reappeared underneath a similar device, yet in an entirely different room: whereas the prior teleporter had been located in a sealed clean room with noting in the way of furniture or ornamentation, this teleporter sat in front of various barricades and pillars, leading to a single door. However, the reinforced windows revealed the familiar red-and-black patterned sky of the Metaverse, unveiling the truth of their vast movement. "...we actually teleported...?"

Misato grinned cheekily. "Not bad for a prop, eh?"

"...eh?"

"Yeah; that thing we saw in the real world is essentially a gigantic decoration. Doesn't do a thing!"

"...but, how, I mean, _wha-?!_"

The woman giggled at his exasperation. "Yeah, in the real world it doesn't amount to a half-empty can of warmed-over beer...but the impression's the important thing! The more people think of it as a teleporter, the more that impression weighs upon its cognitive double within the Metaverse...thus turning it into a realty, as far as the mind's concerned. After all, we _just_ teleported, didn't we?"

"...so it's not an actual teleporter?"

"But it _looks_ like one, doesn't it?"

"...you made that out to be something special."

"Had to sell the image! Otherwise, there was a chance the teleporter wouldn't work on you. Course, now that you've actually _used_ it successfully, good luck trying to think otherwise about it!" She smirked cheekily at him. "Now, to introduce you to-" Right at that moment, the door at the other end of the room opened up. "Well, right on time!"

"Ah, surprisingly punctual, Katsuragi-senpai," answered the young man - someone in high school? - clad in the same dark blue combat uniform of the Anti-Terror Task Force, albeit lacking the NERV logo that Misato bore on her breastplate. The waist-length cloak and segmented armor were similar, but Shinji's attention was immediately drawn to the dissimilarities: there was a necklace bearing charms in the shape of a crow and a robin; clipped to his belt were tiny figurines of sentai figures, all of which were trapped in bird cages; most alarming were the thick metal bracelets attached to his wrists, bound together by a chain of iron links that was at least two feet long. Those were manacles, fit for a prisoner.

Shinji recalled Misato's words about A.T. agents having quirks, and wondered what kind would result in a young man having his wrists shackled.

Misato laughed at him. "Hey now, there are times when I can be serious!" She patted Shinji on the back. "Right now, we're in the Anti-Terror Task Force's Cognitive Protection Center, overlooking Tokyo-3...and this guy here is our Chief Warden."

The young man nodded, his brown hair hanging down in multiple bangs; those in the front barely reached the eyes, while the rest curved down to frame his neck. "I confess to having heard a great deal about you, Ikari-san." He lightly bowed at the waist, dark brown eyes - with trace hints of red, it seemed - twinkling amiably. "My name is **Goro Akechi.** It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person."

"Ah." Shinji bowed back. "Nice to meet you too, Akechi-san."

The young man rose, bearing a pleasant smile. "Shall we be off then, Katsuragi-senpai?"

The older woman snorted. "You're the head Warden here, so I'll let you take lead on the tour."

xxxx

**TO BE CONTINUED**

xxxx

/and thus the plot _thickens~_


	7. Wednesday - June 10, 2015: Part 2

_"Are you watching again, Sokila?"_

_"Ah. Sorry, Mister Igor! I was just...distracted! Yeah, distracted!"_

_"I see."_

_"...I..."_

_"You have chosen a hard path. Your anxiety is perfectly natural."_

_"...it's just..."_

_"Patience. We must let fate play out, or else naught but ruin shall await."_

xxxx

/The Cognitive Protective Center, Tokyo-3, the Metaverse/

The tour had been rather sedate, thus far...at least, relative to the craziness that Misato Katsuragi had subjected Shinji Ikari to, his first time into the Metaverse.

That was what he told himself, at least, as he gazed over the side of a catwalk at the legion of rainbow eyes. The pathway spanned a great chasm overlooking the cognitive double of Tokyo-3; on each side of the deep walls were hundreds upon hundreds of drones. "That's...a lot of eyes."

"The Ocular Drones serve as the Anti-Terror Task Force's eyes throughout the Hakone region," remarked Akechi, speaking with a pleasantly professional demeanor. "Whatever they see is logged and recorded; anything of interest gets tagged for a more thorough follow-up, if necessary. After all, we _are_ dealing with a world formed from the thoughts of humanity."

"...I don't follow...?"

Akechi briefly chuckled. "My apologies, Ikari-san. I sometimes forget that you truly are new to this. Strange, for one of your reputation."

"...I have a reputation?" Since _when?  
_  
"I suppose it would be more accurate to say that your status as an _Evangelion-user_ is what drives such speculation."

"Ugh, don't remind me," groused Misato, bringing up the rear of the trio. "For an industry related to military matters and confidential cognitive countermeasures, people can act like such _gossips!_"

"Why do I have a reputation?!" asked Shinji, trying to draw the conversation back to what Akechi had said. "I haven't done anything!"

"Them's the breaks, kiddo," remarked Misato, patting him on the back of his shoulder. "We can't always choose how people are gonna perceive us."

Kensuke Aida's mistaken perceptions came to mind. "...okay, I guess, but what have I even _done?_ I'm hearing Akechi-san talking about me having a reputation, and...I mean...!"

"It is one shrouded in mystery, as far as most are concerned," asserted the Chief Warden. Down more halls they went, as they continued conversing. "It is largely driven by past performances from Rei Ayanami and Asuka Langley-Sohryu. When rumors started spreading that NERV had found the Third Child, this city was bound to draw eyes...and, unfortunately, your entry to Tokyo-3 was simply a matter of bad timing."

"...oh..." The bizarre randomness of it all felt _incredibly _unfair. And yet this older teenager was reacting rather unflappably about it. "...how...how do _you_ handle it, Akechi-san?" He looked up at the back of the older boy, wanting some measure of reassurance. "You look like you're not even out of high school...yet..."

"He's cool as a cucumber, eh?" finished Misato. "Trust me, I get what you're saying. Takes a lot of effort to even get this guy to _shout."_

"...I guess." That didn't quite get his thought across. But...ah. "How...how exactly do you deal with it?"

Akechi smiled, looking back over his shoulder with a mysterious expression. "Fame and adulation are elusive beasts...and they can be quite fickle. Yet they also pounce on the unsuspecting, drawing in the unwary...and, perhaps, the proud, who feel they are above such concerns." His lips curled upward. "Do you understand?"

"...not really."

The older boy smiled. "Well, I can certainly say that you have no trouble being honest!" They came to a stop in front of a door with a keypad. "We've arrived at the **Panopticon.** Once inside, please try and maintain your composure, for the sake of our many residents." As Akechi opened the door, and they stepped onto the catwalk hanging over empty space, Shinji had one immediate thought: _this is too big._ Literally, there was _no_ way this all could fit within the sphere that floated in the sky of Tokyo-3...could it?

Seemingly endless rows upon rows of doors, lining the interior of an empty sphere, stretching upward and downward. In the center of this great expense was a floating glass orb, within which lied some form of office complex? He could make out chairs, computers, lamps, and A.T. agents...but seriously, this whole place was _enormous_, so much so that it felt like he couldn't see the other side, simply because of this place's own _atmosphere_.

How many doors were there? Thousands? Tens of thousands? _Hundreds?_ "Wha...?"

"Has Katsuragi-senapi informed you of this place's purpose, Ikari-san?"

"...well..." He thought back to Kensuke Aida's words from yesterday, which had honestly explained more than Misato said about the giant sphere floating in the sky. "Shadows are kept here for protection...?" He framed it as a question, unsure in the face of Akechi's expectant gaze.

"That is the ostensible purpose, yes. After all, after Second Impact, the world's greater interest in the cognitive world brought to light just how..._simple_...it could be, to change people. To hurt people. To kill people." The Chief Warden smiled knowingly. "I imagine you would have learned this regardless, given your station...but given what Katsuragi-senpai told me about your recent 'trip', I don't think it would surprise you to know that there are other ways of accessing Metaverse, beyond just the MAGI."

Shinji mentally chewed on the words. He quietly recalled Dr. Akagi's blunt words, the day after he had met his father. "...Dr. Akagi made it sound like the MAGI were necessary."

"And for official purposes, they are. The MAGI have turned accessing the cognitive world into a proper function of governmental authority. But in a world born from humanity's collective unconscious, it should not surprise any that there might be...gaps, and loopholes." He leaned against the guardrail, uncaring for the great expanse lying beneath him, a hard and fatal fall waiting to happen. "In the wake of Angel Syndrome wreaking havoc on the minds of man, there were less..._savory_ types, who exploited those gaps. The early years of this century were rife with stories of mental breakdowns and individuals experiencing drastic changes of character. It was because of such scum that the Anti-Terror Task Force was deemed not merely necessary in the face of Angel Syndrome, but a true public institution."

"Practicing for a commercial, Akechi-kun?" joked Misato.

"Not at all, Katsuragi-senpai. I'm simply being honest." Goro Akechi gestured at the endless rows of doors. "The Cognitive Protection Center was deemed to be the answer to quite a few questions: how do we mitigate the risk of Angel Syndrome; how do we prevent criminals from targeting the Shadows of their victims; what can be done to leverage the Metaverse as a means of pursuing justice in the real world; and so on. Right now, over ninety-five percent of all Shadows within the greater Hakone region have chosen to reside in the Cognitive Protection Center. And so far...there are many who would deem this place to be a success."

"...do you?"

Akechi did not answer his question, instead looking toward Misato. "Have you selected a suitable person from our case file?"

"Chiba Takehide," she immediately answered. "Resident ID tag of Bravo-Tango-Three-Five-Six-Zeta."

Akechi turned around, walking towards the end of the catwalk, where another device similar to the teleporter from earlier stood. This one, however, had a computer terminal standing beside it. "And what does the warrant indicate?"

"Lots of accusations of sexual harassment at his place of employment. Minor stuff, for the most part, but nothing rising to the level of actual assault...that can be tied to him _directly_, at least, although there's suspicions. The only reason the request came to us is because he's related to the manager, so there's concerns of employer intimidation as well."

"Hmm," muttered Akechi, keying the person's information into the terminal. "Rather simple. Some would say this is a waste of our time and resources."

Misato sighed. "Well, we get warrants for all _sorts_ of things. It beats trying to interrogate some embezzler's Shadow for information to help a prosecutor in a real-world legal case."

"My my, Katsuragi-senpai. Are you implying that the Anti-Terror Task Force has made some individuals _lazy?_"

The woman snorted, briefly glancing at Shinji. "As much as I'd prefer to be on alert for incidents of Angel Syndrome, our charter with the United Nations comes with some strings attached. But, part of your contract with NERV means that you can..._assist_ an A.T. agent in matters related to law enforcement, subject to Task Force supervision of course." As the teleporter charged up, she added, "you'll be cutting your proverbial teeth on Chiba Takehide's Shadow."

"...wait, I am?!"

"But don't worry, you'll have Akechi-kun and me as backup! We won't let anything happen to you."

He wished he could say that that filled him with confidence.

"I have faith that you will perform well, Ikari-san," said Akechi, stepped onto the plate of the teleporter. Misato gently nudged Shinji from behind, until all three were on the teleporter-

**_ZHYOOM!_**

xxxx

**_ZHYOOM!  
_**  
-and reemerged at the end of a railed-off walkway, not even ten-feet long. It led towards a single door, one of many within the great sphere. Access to all of the other nearby doors was sequestered, such that one would have to leap over the guardrails to reach them. On each side of the armored door were two intercoms, complete with hand-scanners. With practiced ease, Akechi went to the left, while Misato went to the right. They placed their hands on the scanners, and each spoke aloud.

"Agent Goro Akechi, identification zero-zero-foxtrot-zulu-six, requesting access to Resident Bravo-Tango-Three-Five-Six-Zeta."

"Agent Misato Katsuragi, identification zero-one-whiskey-alpha-four, requesting access to Resident Bravo-Tango-Three-Five-Six-Zeta."

"**Standby for authorization,**" answered a bored male voice from an intercom built into the wall.

Misato rolled her eyes. "Agent Benjiro sounds like he needs another cup of coffee."

"He simply prefers field work," explained Akechi. "I confess to sharing that preference, but I understand that I am more needed here for the time being."

"In the market for a replacement?"

"Are you volunteering?"

Misato snorted a laugh. "Fat chance of _that_, kid."

As Shinji observed their banter, the armored door suddenly hissed, as servos began to turn and locks began to unlatch. "...there is another, rather _practical_ reason for the Cognitive Protection Center's existence, Ikari-san." Akechi looked over his shoulder. "The cognitive world responds to humanity's thoughts...and Shadows are icons, in that regard; pure, and unadulterated. If they are strong enough...well, I suppose you'll find out soon enough. I will only say that, before this room was occupied by its current resident, it was only the size of a studio apartment. But in my experience..."

The door opened up, revealing an entire cubicle-laden _office floor_ inside.

"...they never stay that small for long."

As Shinji Ikari crossed the threshold of the door, he felt a strange sense of rudeness. As though he were intruding in someone's home, if said home was also capable of looking back at him crossly...well, that sounded logical to him. Maybe. "This place feels..."

"First time stepping into a Shadow's Realm?" asked Misato with a smile...before smacking her own forehead. "Well, _yeah_, of course it is! That's why we brought you here!"

"My my, and the day's not even half over," chided Goro Akechi, looking around with a sense of detached calm.

"Yeah yeah, laugh it up," grumbled the older woman as she summoned her Persona. Tokoyo stood at attention, hands on the hilts of her swords. "Okay Shinji-kun, might want to bring out your Persona now."

"Indeed. I am most curious to see it."

"Oh...okay..." Shinji gulped, trying to feel for the other him within. _Are you there?_ Wait, would that even make sense? His Persona was him. Sort of. _Um...huh. How exactly do I do this...?_ Far ahead, past many rows of cubicles in the strangely cavernous office, a streak of yellow and red ran past. "What the?"

"I believe that's our target," said Akechi, somewhat severely.

"You've got this, Shinji-kun!"

Shinji thought he might have had this. Possibly. Potentially. Then he saw the lower half of a female mannequin walk past, wearing only a businesswoman's skirt, pantyhose, and classy dress shoes. "...eh?" The yellow and red streak flashed by the walking skirt, which briefly flipped upward as it passed. "_Eh?!_"

Misato grimaced at the display. "Starting to get an idea..."

The streak skidded to a halt at a four-way intersection amongst the cubicles, taking on greater definition now that it slowed down. "Who the hell are you three?" exclaimed the middle-aged man, bearing a sprinter's build; wearing a yellow speedsuit with red stripes along the front and sides, he had the appearance of an Olympian runner. A shame that the rat muzzle and rodent ears detracted from that image, because _what._ "You're distracting me! I have work to do, and so very little time to do it!" With the pounding of rubber against the linoleum floors, the rat-faced man dashed down another row.

"...uh..."

"...okay, maybe I don't have as much of an idea as I thought..." admitted Misato, looking somewhat perplexed.

Chiba Takehide's Shadow stopped again, this time in an intersection further away. His right hand clenched back and forth, as though practicing to grab. "Five cheeks pinched in sixty seconds...what a _terrible _performance! I have to up my game!" Another walking skirt passed him by; almost absentmindedly, his right hand lashed out, subtly flipping the skirt up. "I need to get quicker, or else I'll have less time for _work!_" The rat-man looked back towards them, yellow eyes gleaming with irritation. "You're still here?! GO AWAY!"

"Never mind, _totally _had the right idea."

The Shadow hissed, seemingly bothered by the fact they were looking at him. "Don't have time for this. I'll leave you to the receptionists!" As he dashed away further into the sepia-toned office, his receptionists emerged from various cubicles: dog-sized rats, bearing blue humanoid masks over their faces, leaking a noxious black substance from their joints.

"Hmm. An interesting theme..." muttered Akechi, as though he were pondering the very nature of the imagery presented to him. "I wonder what the metaphor is. Do you have any inklings?"

"...they're coming this way," answered Shinji, nervously taking a step back as the large rats began to scurry towards them. The urge to turn around and hide behind Misato's Persona was striking; honestly, it would have made for a good survival tactic, and he doubted Misato would be _that_ angry...

xxxx

_"**Is that a choice you would accept?**"_

_His own face looked intently at him._

_"**Will you hide now, in the face of mere vermin?**"_

xxxx

...but that would have defeated the whole purpose of his being here, and so Shinji steeled himself, feeling for that familiar spark-

**WHOOSH.  
**  
-and as brilliant blue flames burst into being and faded, he bore the attire of his self-image, swinging a shovel with a defiant roar. _Thwack_, went the garden tool, as it smashed a masked rat backwards into its brethren. The cognitive creatures hissed, right as his Persona manifested once more. Hamlet stood at attention, slashing downward at the nearest beast; instead of torn flesh and spilt blood, a splash of black and dissipating fog marked its demise.

"Ooh, so this must be Hamlet!" Misato gave him a thumbs-up. "Not bad!" And, being Misato, she apparently felt the need to poke fun at his outfit. "Also...you look so _cute_ in your little house husband getup," she snickered.

"...why do people keep saying that?" First Aida, now Misato? All he had on was an apron and kitchen gloves and rather sensible workman's garb; what about that screamed 'house husband'?

"Hey, it ain't a criticism. _Trust _me," she reassured.

"More vermin incoming," cautioned Akechi.

"Well, you heard the Warden. Lead the way, Shinji-kun!"

"...all right then." And so Shinji Ikari turned around, Hamlet standing dutifully by his side. The masked shadow-rats hissed, and began charging forward in pairs and trios. "Can you please stop?" They kept charging. "...well, worth a shot." And thus did Hamlet and Shinji raise their weapons, striking at the incoming horde.

xxxx

"**_Tentarafoo!_**"

A flash of yellow erupted from Hamlet's handheld skull; a few masked rats hissed angrily, as though vexed by their sudden indecisiveness.

Shinji Ikari's shovel smashed into one, sending it tumbling away with a guttural squeak.

"**_Psi!_**" Smooth rainbows of white, yellow, pink, teal, and black flowed from his Persona's skull, crashing into one; it seemed to collapse on itself, mewling with pain as it disintegrated into shadowy wisps. The third one seemed to shake off its fear-

SMACK!

-right in time for Shinji to bring the edge of his shovel down, splitting it in twain. The halves immediately dissipated into nothing.

If he had to be honest, the fact that these strange beings didn't leave behind blood or unpleasant corpses made it a _lot_ easier to fight them. Beyond the instinctive '_eww rats eww eww EWW_' that roared through his mind, because they looked _way _too realistic, despite the blue masks on their faces.

"Doing pretty good Shinji-kun, but you'll need to make sure to watch your back in a Shadow's Realm," advised Misato, even as her Persona sliced a group of masked rodents - vainly trying to sneak around them in the maze of cubicles - into shadowy slices with rapid swings. "After all, it wouldn't take much to get taken down from behind!"

"...okay...but, aren't you already watching my back?"

"Not the point!" she playfully retorted.

"Er, sorry...!" He swiftly turned his attention to Goro Akechi, who had yet to summon a Persona of any kind. "Um...?"

"I'm afraid I'm here to observe," he remarked. "I won't intervene unless absolutely necessary...but you shouldn't fret at all, Ikari-san. You've done well, thus far."

"...if you say so..."

"How is your first experience with a Shadow's Realm?"

Akechi's question prompted Shinji to look around; they had passed row after row of cubicles, opting to hug the walls in the sepia-toned expanse. The few windows that existed were all plastered over by cartoonish posters with motivational slogans like 'KEEP WORKING', or 'EVERY RACE HAS ONLY ONE FIRST PRIZE'. Things of that nature...which seemed strangely at odds, for the apparently perverted nature of Takehide himself. "...I feel like I'm being watched. From _everywhere._" Maybe that was why fighting with his Persona felt easier to do? It helped distract him from the strangeness of this place.

"That is the nature of a Realm," explained the Chief Warden. "A Shadow's habits tend to reflect the deep-seated desires and hidden feelings of their origin; that's why almost all Shadows tend to congregate at certain locations, usually where a person secretly feels most at ease in the real world. Their very presence eventually warps the surrounding cognitive area, reflecting their own perceptions. And thus is a **Realm** created."

"...so...does that mean Takehide feels most at ease at where he works?"

"That would be logical, based on his Shadow's own comments..._ah!_" Akechi snapped his fingers, apparently having an epiphany. "A '**rat race**'. So that's the metaphor. How interesting!"

Misato snorted. "It would certainly fit the things we've seen so far."

"What _are_ they, anyway? Are they also Archetypes?"

"Not..._exactly._ These masked things we've seen are all a part of the Realm, tied to Takehide's own cognition in some way. Some researchers in the cognitive psiences have made the argument that differentiating between a Shadow and the Realm they create is meaningless, contending that the Realm _itself_ is merely an extension of the Shadow."

"...huh. That...makes sense."

And that's when two female mannequins, bisected and missing everything from the waist up, walked around the corner. Instead of synthetic flesh above the skirt, a blue humanoid mask could be seen embedded into the top of the hips.

"...uh-"

"Shinji-kun, I've learned not to question what goes on in the mind of a pervert."

Misato was truly wise. "...okay then." He and his Persona held their weapons aloft as the bodiless mannequins charged towards them at a dead sprint, and he defaulted into the rhythm of combat.

It was surprisingly easy.

xxxx

Through the cognitive office space, went the trio; instead of going to an executive's office - as one may have expected - they found Takehide's Shadow sitting in a slightly larger cubicle than normal, typing on a keyboard with lightning speed. "Have to send this file, have to send that file. Proposal approved, complaint registered." A cartoonish alarm clock beeped by his computer. "Practice time!" He spun out of his chair, pausing at the sight of them. "Why do you keep bugging me?! I have work to do!"

Tokoyo and Hamlet held their swords forward.

"Threats to my person won't accomplish anything; am I going to have to get upper management involved?!"

Misato Katsuragi slowly pulled the cubicle wall aside, hands briefly flickering red; the material dissolved into traces of shadowy thoughtstuff, dissipating like smoke. "Chiba Takehide: per a judicial warrant served to the Anti-Terror Task Force by the Summary Court of Hakone, you have been accused of numerous counts of sexual harassment by over forty female employees and interns at Tojo & Sons, including but not limited to lewd comments and unwanted advances. You have also been accused of conspiring with personnel manager Kuro Takehide to suppress these accusations from the legal department of Tojo & Sons." Katsuragi's eyelids drooped slightly, giving her stare an aura of displeasure and irritation. "In addition, there have been concerns regarding incidents of groping that were not linked to any particular individual, although you are a prime suspect. Do you contest these accusations?"

The rat-faced runner huffed, as though irritated by her words. "Do you not understand how important my job is? I put in more hours than anyone else, on more _days_ than anyone else. My contributions are invaluable! This place is my _life_, so much so that I've forgone trying to get married, or getting a girlfriend, or visiting a love hotel!"

_...should I be hearing this?_ privately wondered Shinji.

"And yet, I am a man, and I have needs. But I recognize that my job takes priority!" In a flash of lightning - quite literally - the Shadow disappeared, then reappeared, holding a bra in his hand. "The women who work at Tojo & Sons are treasured employees, and I do my utmost to respect their privacy. A compliment here, a passionate stare elsewhere, a secret pinch there; those are enough to keep me focused on my work! And thus, everyone is made happy!"

"...a pervert who prides himself on being polite and swift. Seems more like you're afraid of being caught," grumbled Misato.

The Shadow's yellow eyes narrowed, as one _offended_. "How DARE you accuse me of such vile behavior!" He raised his right hand hand and _wow_ the Shadow's fingers were actually quite long, now that Shinji was close enough to see. "You would dare classify me as a juvenile lech? A mere _subway groper?_ I have far more class than that!"

Akechi huffed. "I do believe he's confessed more than enough, don't you agree, Katsuragi-senpai?"

The older woman nodded. "Chiba Takehide! By the authority invested into the Anti-Terror Task Force from the United Nations and the government of Japan, you will be compelled to settle equitably. It is our sincerest wish that you cooperate with us now, to minimize legal complications for your physical self. Any attempts at resisting will be met with force."

The Shadow seethed, his body beginning to glow with a crimson aura. "Foolish ingrates! You're _interrupting my WORKFLOW!_ If I don't work, **then I'll lose my place!**" With sudden violence, all of the nearby cubicles were blown away, as the rat-faced man began to swell and grow.

"What the-?!" yelped Shinji, stunned by the development.

"Watch closely, Ikari-san," advised Akechi. "This is but one example of how someone's inner thoughts and feelings can reflect in their Shadow, if left to fester."

Standing in the Shadow's place was a bipedal robot forged from sterling silver, lean and mean and crackling with electricity; jammed into its torso, powering its every move, was an actual dog-sized rat running frantically on a stationary wheel. Despite the shift in form, the yellow eyes on the rat were sufficient to betray his nature. "**Work is everything! Pleasure is secondary! If you can't understand even _that_, then I'll escort you out of the building MYSELF!**"

"Look alive, Shinji-kun!" exclaimed Misato, withdrawing her short sword, while Tokoyo stood at attention. "You've got this!"

"...wait, I _do-?!_" he blurted out, right as Takehide's Shadow charged.

The rat-powered robot - and _wow_ that was a thought Shinji never expected to have - crashed into Hamlet, the Persona's sword holding against the downward strike from the Shadow. Sort of. Did Personas have muscle mass to account for-?

"Focus Shinji! Don't think too hard!" cautioned Misato, right as Tokoyo's right sword glowed a myriad of colors. Her Persona - speaking with a calm and tranquil voice - intoned, "**_Heat Riser._**"

The colors surrounded Shinji and wait he was feeling stronger and tougher and _lighter_. "What the-?"

"**_Industrious Spark!_**" roared Takehide's Shadow, the rat running faster on the torso-bound wheel; electricity began sparking on the robot's fists, which lashed out for Hamlet. Yet, they were strangely slow...?

With surprising ease, Shinj and his Persona dodged to the side, avoiding the Shadow's cracking blows. Hamlet held his skull up high - "**_Tentarafoo!_**" - which flashed yellow.

The Shadow seemed _annoyed._ "**You can't make me waver! I'll serve the company until I die!**" The robot struck again, trying in vain to hit at the fleet-footed Hamlet. "**I'll make sure you fail your performance review!**"

"**Your identity is bound to this place,**" said Hamlet, musing aloud. Or was it that _Shinji_ was musing aloud, by proxy? "**It seems such a wretched tragedy. Is there nothing else worth living for?**"

"**You must be from a competitor! I won't betray my company!**" Hamlet danced away from a series of downward stomps, which made the cognitive floor ripple. "**How dare you try and assume that I am anything less than fulfilled?!**"

"**...tied to one thing, above all else, even if none would understand.**" The Tragic Prince chuckled, parrying a kick with his blade. "**I suppose I can relate.**"

Indeed; Shinji could. Not to Takehide's actions, of course...but to the prospect of believing in something that meant everything to him? To the exclusion of all else, no matter what? That...that was honestly an appealing thought. _But what is mine? What drives me? _These thoughts percolated in the back of his mind as he raised his shovel, striking at the Shadow's back, and _hey_ he actually caused a dent-!

SMACK!

-and _OWWWWW._ Shinji saw stars, wincing mightily at the pain in his jaw. Also, he was on the floor, several _meters_ away from where the Shadow was fighting his Persona with renewed vigor. _That...that hurt...!_ It had hurt. It _really_ hurt. Were it not for the strange durability he felt - from whatever Misato's Persona had done - he feared that his head might have been taken off. _This...this is real._ For all the strangeness and seeming unreality of the Metaverse, it was still a place of danger, and pain. _I...I could actually die...  
_  
"**I'm a valued employee! My fellows would never let anything bad happen to me! _Team Spirit!_**"

The sounds of hissing rats began to close in. "Akechi-kun! Keep an eye on Shinji-kun!" yelled Misato, turning around with her Persona to face the incoming horde of masked rodents. With gun at the ready and short sword out, she struck at the creatures with a frenzied precision, even as Tokoyo kept shouting "**_Rampage_**" again and again.

Akechi sighed as Misato went off. "I hope she remembers to keep her head clear." The Chief Warden turned placidly towards him. "Are you going to stand?"

"...I..." If he didn't, what would happen? But the pain, it was realer than real, searing itself into his mind with all the ferocity of a red-hot iron poker. "I..."

"Is a little pain all it takes to make you falter, Ikari-san?"

Was this pain worth it? Why had he come here? Why did he come crawling back to an uncaring father? _Why am I here-?!  
_  
"**Look out!**"

Hamlet's shout was heard before it reached his ears, his own mind warning himself of danger. Takehide's Shadow had turned, the robot's right hand curled as if ready to pinch. "**_Touch of Glory!_**" An electric ball built-up in between the index finger and thumb, and there was a flash-!

**_KRAKOOM!  
_**  
-and just like that, a lightning bolt pierced Shinji through the chest...not that he could feel it.

He couldn't feel anything. He couldn't hear anything. There was a faint smell of charred flesh.

He saw Hamlet begin to dissolve. Then he saw the floor rush up to meet him.

And yet...he still wondered why he was here. _Why...?_

.

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_Amidst a curtain of blue, a silver-haired girl with yellow eyes stared plainly at him._

_"This isn't what brings you down."_

_Why was she tearing up?_

_"I know it's not. It can't be."_

_She furiously wiped at her eyes with a long sleeve, putting on a brave face._

_"I believe in you..."_

_She opened her mouth to speak...but then hesitated._

_"Please. You're stronger than you realize!"_

"**_Samarecarm._**"

With sudden violence and soothing pleasure, Shinji was ripped back into the Realm of Chiba Takehide's Shadow. Gasping for air, he rose to his feet, feeling for his chest. _No wound...?!  
_  
His Persona, on the verge of disappearing entirely, suddenly bloomed back into solidity, roaring valiantly at the rat-powered robot. "**_Psi!_**" roared Hamlet, once more grabbing the Shadow's attention.

Flummoxed, Shinji turned towards Akechi, who was now accompanied by...his own Persona? It was a ridiculously buff humanoid in heroic colors of white, blue, gold, and red, with various capes of blue floating as if carried by the wind; held in his right hand was a bow and arrow forged of what appeared to be golden wings. Inscribed on the inside of the stylized bow were the English words '**Robin Hood**'. "What...?"

"Why exactly are you here, Shinji Ikari?" asked Goro Akechi, sounding oddly serious. The look in his eyes...there was a certain heaviness to it. It felt...dangerous. "Why have you come to this point? Why do you persist in moving forward?"

"...I..." Why had he come to Tokyo-3? Why had he come here? Why had he _agreed to do this?_ "...I'm..." What had he sworn? What had he promised? To himself? To...to...? "I...I don't know..."

"...and yet you stand. Why?"

"...because..." He thought of Misato's paradoxically friendly demeanor. He thought of Fuyutsuki-sensei, and the promise of tales about his mother. He thought of Kaworu Nagisa's strangely aloof affability. He thought of Kensuke Aida's gung-ho attitude.

He thought of Rei Ayanami, with her strange demeanor.

He thought of his father, and those cold eyes he wished would look upon him with pride.

He thought of the silver-haired girl with yellow eyes.

He thought of...well, he wasn't sure. But he had sworn to himself. "...because I want to _know_." Grimacing, Shinji held his shovel up, and looked Hamlet in the eye.

His Persona - struggling mightily against the enraged machine - nodded. With a subtle movement, he backed away - letting a downward hammer blow miss - and _kicked _the robot in the chest while it was off balance, sending it tumbling backwards.

Shinji roared, stabbing with his shovel as though it were spear...and _wedged_ it into the large wheel, between the spokes. With a jarring jerk, the robot came to a halt, as its power source was jammed. "**What?! Hey, that's not fair-!**"

A glowing aura surrounded Hamlet's sword. "**_Cleave._**" Downward, swung the Prince's blade, carving a great scar into the machine.

It was a critical blow, as the robot collapsed to its knees, dissolving into fog and smoke. When it cleared, only the original incarnation of Chiba Takehide's Shadow remained.

The fight was over.

The Realm around them seemed to go still, reflecting the state of Takehide's Shadow; all other masked creatures vanished, and the sense of paranoia faded as well. The danger was past, and the three Personas faded away as a result. And in the midst of all this, the rat-faced man looked up, his outfit flickering between the speedsuit and a fairly typical business suit, fit for a salaryman. "...is this the end, then? Am I to be fired?" he asked, staring plainly at Shinji.

Misato Katsuragi was silent, staring in his direction. So was Goro Akechi. _Why are they looking at me?_

"Am I to be exiled from the place I sacrificed so much for?"

The words were somber, yet honest. Perhaps it was that honesty that Shinji responded to, because the real world could be veiled in misdirection and contradiction. Takehide's Shadow, despite his odd demeanor, regardless of the accusations against him...had been very straightforward. "...why do you work so hard?" he blurted out. "I...I mean, to the point of doing...what you do. To other women." _Way to sound confident,_ he mentally berated at himself.

Yet, the Shadow responded. "I see those of higher station...and those of a lower station...I see them with girlfriends, wives, _children._ I hear them talk, at times, about plans outside of work. And...I _want_ that...but I've worked so hard to get where I'm at. I'm dependable. People _rely_ on me." Whether that sentiment had any basis in fact or not, Chiba Takehide clearly felt it to be true. "And so I keep on working, in spite of my envy. And my...actions...are just enough to keep me from going _insane_..."

"But it won't be enough, before long," sagely said Misato. "You're gonna keep wanting what you don't have. And eventually, you'll end up going over an edge that there's no coming back from."

"So what am I to **_do?!_** Am I to sacrifice my hard-won position at work? Am I to forego the beauty of women and the promise of children for the rest of my life?"

"...you talk like it's one or the other," murmured Shinji. The words of his Persona echoed through his mind. "..._choose for thyself_..." he whispered to himself, before looking back at the dejected Shadow. "You have to make a choice. I...I think you can still be a hard worker. But...but if you think you can't maintain that while pursuing love...then maybe you should slow down, a little. I don't think it'll hurt you."

The Shadow snorted. "Spoken like a true child, who knows not how cutthroat an office can be."

"...maybe..." He thought of...he thought of his father, and all his failings; his right hand briefly clenched into a fist, before the tension faded, as steam escaping a boiling kettle, letting pressure equalize. "...but I think being a good husband...being a good father...I think _that's_ more important, in the long run." With nervousness, he rubbed the back of his head. "Um...that's how I feel, anyway..."

Strangely, Chiba Takehide's cognitive self seemed to acquiesce to this. "...maybe...maybe..."

Misato apparently chose this moment to intervene. "Hey, don't discount good advice just because it's coming from a kid!" The older woman knelt down, giving the Shadow a tough pat on the shoulder. "So, here's what's going to happen. It's still the middle of week, and I get that you're busy...so you're just gonna hold off on the sexual harassment, at least until Sunday. By then, you'll be getting a summons in the mail to visit the local prosecutor's office, for an appointment on June the fourteenth. You're gonna go there, and you'll confess what you've done. But to be honest, I think they'll be interested in hearing about any conversations you had with Kuro Takehide, because if the allegations had been reported _properly_, it wouldn't have gotten to this point to begin with."

"B-but...my cousin...to betray him would be to turn my back on _family_..."

"You've spoken so much about how important your job is to you. Almost like it's a substitute family." The woman stared intently at the Shadow's yellow eyes. "What you've done to your fellow employees...would be like abusing your fellow family, right?"

"...I suppose...yes..." The Shadow grimaced, his rodent features fading away. Chiba Takehide looked like an average Japanese man in his thirties. "...the people who work for Tojo & Sons are lovely and hard workers...they don't deserve what I've done..."

Misato grinned. "Glad we agree! So, let's cover a few more details..."

Shinji watched quietly as the woman seemed to coach the Shadow on what his real world self would do, and felt a strange twinge of disbelief. "It is quite frightening, isn't it?" He turned towards Akechi, who was looking at the scene before them with a quietly detached expression. "In the real world, Chiba Takehide will soon find his compulsions...shifting. Skewing, ever so slightly. Enough to change the decisions that he would normally make. The outline that Katsuragi-senpai is giving him...will serve as the initial conditions for a new trajectory." He smirked knowingly. "Some would consider it akin to brainwashing, or perhaps rewriting a person."

"...that's..." Terrifying? Yeah, terrifying would be a good word.

"Indeed. It is a heavy burden, that the Anti-Terror Task Force has been given, in such matters. It is not handled lightly...and that is why such emphasis is placed on following the letter of the law in all aspects of cognitive affairs, lest we be tempted to become as gods among men."

"Has...has that...happened before?"

The Chief Warden chuckled humorlessly. "It has. And the results...were not pleasant." The air hung with a heavy silence, until Akechi turned to face him with a more amiable smile. "For someone of your age and stature, I believe you handled yourself well."

"...I...I don't think I did..."

"I would disagree, but I won't contradict your personal judgment. After all, we tend to be our own worst critics." On that, Shinji could agree wholeheartedly. "I do believe this will not be the last assignment we end up working together on."

It was strange, hearing the older boy speak with such tempered confidence. "You...you think so?"

"Well...who can say? Fate is strange in many ways. But in the end, is fate not but what we make of it? Are we merely actors, or do we have free will?" His smile briefly carried a twinge of melancholy, there and gone in a blink. "Personally...I'd prefer it to be the latter."

xxxx

And all the while, on a subconscious level, in words he had no way of knowing...a familiar voice spoke, within the depths of his being:

_I am **thou**, thou art I...  
Thou hast acquired a **new** bond._

_It shall **lead** thou to the truth  
that **parts** the seas of depravity._

_Take hold of the **Fortune **Arcana,  
and let it** guide** you  
to a new Promised Land..._

xxxx

"...maybe," muttered Shinji, even as he privately pondered the decisions that had led him to this point.

xxxx

Time seemed to pass with regularity, once the battle had ended. Departing the Shadow's Realm, the trio had emerged into the Panopticon's seemingly endless expanse. A few teleporter zaps later, and they had departed even that, leaving the prison behind.

Because...well, it certainly _felt_ like a prison, regardless if the Shadows had elected to come willingly. Was the risk of braving the Metaverse alone worth being within the clutches of the Anti-Terror Task Force? After all, at any time, a highly-trained agent could do...well, whatever they wanted, it would seem (because gods knew Misato and Akechi-san hadn't felt threatened by Takehide's Shadow). Then again, they were basically like the police, weren't they? Well, police for the mind. A police with rules, and regulations, and order, and discipline. Surely, figures of authority wouldn't let anything too horrible happen, right?

A man with orange shades flashed into his mind, and that was the end of that little hope.

It was odd, working with A.T. agents...the mere fact that he had _worked_ with them at all. What exactly could he do, realistically speaking?

What did he have that more powerful people like Misato Katsuragi and Goro Akechi did not?

Why was he an Evangelion-user?

And _why_ was he thinking about questions that there weren't any answers to? _If they knew, they'd have gotten someone better for Evangelion._ Because honestly, he was only _fourteen_. Heck, he had been fourteen for not even a week!

"You have been awfully quiet, Ikari-san."

Akechi's voice brought Shinji out of his head and into the present; they were in a different part of the Cognitive Protection Center, that looked akin to a rather freeform office environment. And freeform was _not_ an inappropriate word, since it seemed that every single desk and cubicle and computer station bore some kind of personal touch, be it straight out of sci-fi, anime, shoujo, or...a completely normal-looking desk. It seemed that in this particular place, an A.T. agent would let their thoughts roam unconstrained, no longer bound by their duties on the outside.

Even if meant watching various Archetypes of various sizes and shapes intermingle, uncaring of their presence. Was their nonchalance due to the fact that they came from the minds of agents?

"...you are still being quiet, it seems."

"Oh. Sorry. I was, uh...just...thinking."

A snort brought his attention to Misato, who was typing on a computer terminal with one hand while chugging a beer with the other. "You seem to be doing that a lot."

"There are worse habits to have, Katsuragi-senpai."

The woman loosed a satisfied belch, drawing some disgust from the more prim and proper Archetypes, and bellows of praise from the...well, _less_ than prim and proper types. "I'll drink to that Akechi-kun."

"I believe you already are," calmly pointed out Akechi.

"...huh. So I am!" She lightly tossed the beer can in a graceful arc, where it landed in the mouth of an appreciative Slime. "Well, I'm done with my report!" She swiveled in her chair, looking over the rim of her sunglasses in his direction. "So, Shinji-kun...first time dealing with a Shadow, _and_ your first time helping out the Anti-Terror Task Force. How do ya feel?"

"...um..."

"Come on, don't be shy! You can be honest."

"...well..."

The Chief Warden quietly chuckled at the back-and-forth. "I don't believe honesty is Ikari-san's problem, per se. Rather, _being_ honest is the difficulty, I take it?" The chain connecting his manacles clinked as he rubbed his chin. "After all, so many people can misconstrue honesty as rudeness. Am I wrong?"

"...uh, yes, actually," admitted Shinji, because sometimes it was safer to keep your opinions to yourself, just in case someone heard what you _really_ felt and reacted _way too out of proportion_ in the event that they didn't like what you said-

"Perhaps it can be said that you think too much," commented Akechi. "I wonder how circuitous your thoughts are, right now?"

"...very," he said, trying not to feel embarrassed and failing.

Misato chortled. "You might be right there, Akechi-kun."

"Well, I _am_ still a teenager," he helpfully pointed out. "Perhaps it would be best if you take Ikari-san out of the Metaverse, for today."

"...yeah, perhaps you're right. We've managed to do enough as is." Misato slowly rose, looking down at her erstwhile charge. Sort of. "Anyhow, I trust you won't try and go into the Metaverse on your own anymore?"

"...I will definitely try not to if I can help it. But...I may get kidnapped. Again." Wait, that didn't put Aida in the best light-

Misato cracked a smile. "I won't hold that against you. Come on, let's go." She shot her kouhai a wink. "Good working with you again, Akechi-kun. Don't be a stranger!"

"I will try not to be, Katsuragi-senpai." The older teen looked meaningfully at him, eyes filled with...well, something. What was it with people with intense expressions, lately? "Ikari-san...I will see you again."

"...okay." He dutifully bowed. "Thank you."

xxxx

As the woman and child walked away, Goro Akechi let his thoughts percolate. The other Archetypes in the room, mere remnants of stark thoughts, seemed to shy away from him by instinct. _How...interesting.  
_  
xxxx

_A quiet stranger looked back at him._

_"**So. What do you think?**" His voice was calm, and polite. Almost to a fault._

_"...I believe that he is but a child."_

_"**That goes without saying. But what do you think of his potential?**"_

_"...I am skeptical, if I must be honest. His demeanor seems...far too placid."_

_"**An understandable consequence of how he came to be here.**"_

_"...perhaps. And yet, I can't help but wonder if there were not others more suitable for our goal."_

_"**In terms of pure efficiency, maybe...but that would defeat the point. He is the one, by necessity.**"_

_"I am aware. I am simply...airing out my misgivings."_

_"**I believe he will surprise you.**"_

xxxx

_...maybe he will._ Goro Akechi sighed, his detached expression bearing a touch of regret. _After all, I'm far from being considered a good judge of character..._

xxxx

Misato had been right about one thing, mused Shinji as he walked out of NERV's headquarters; it _had_ been a long Wednesday.

"So...I have to give you pretty good marks, for your first time in battle with a Shadow," remarked Misato Katsuragi, her red jacket fluttering in the afternoon wind. That breeze carried the smell of exhaust, the slight essence of city grunge; the warm blue of the afternoon sky, before its transition to early evening; it was a mundane reality, and one that Shinji felt a strange appreciation for. Especially after...almost dying? _Actually_ dying? The disconnect, before that shout of 'Samarecarm', had simply been too vague for it to truly sink in. "You'd probably make a pretty good agent, with enough seasoning."

"...will NERV let me?" It was more the uncertainty that ate at him, of what working for NERV would entail; he couldn't say that being an A.T. agent was necessarily _attractive_...but why was he having to make these sorts of choices as a fourteen-year old? His thoughts always seemed to come back to that.

"...can't say. If we deal with the threat of Angel Syndrome, who knows what your future will hold?"

"...Misato...why did you become an A.T. agent? How...how did you choose what you wanted to do?" He briefly fidgeted. "Y-You don't have to answer-"

"Oh don't worry about it, Shinji-kun. It'd be a bit of a long story...but I can leave with you a little something." Her smile held sad nostalgia, for a memory of something formative and painful. "I think...I no longer wanted to be chained by my own fear. And the Anti-Terror Task Force just happened to be the path I took..."

"...was it...really that simple?"

The woman shrugged. "It doesn't _have_ to be complicated. Who knows? In another life, I might have found my answer as a school teacher, or a bike rider. But I think I would found a way regardless."

"...you're really strong, Misato-san..." he admitted.

She snorted. "Hardly. I'm still trying to get my act together in other ways not fit for the ears of a kid." Those words she capped off with a _wink._ "Anyhow...you'll have tomorrow and Friday to yourself. You've earned it after today. But after school ends on Saturday, I want you to come straight to NERV." A pause. "...though, if we have an alert of Angel Syndrome within operational distance, I want you to drop everything and come running. So no Metaverse shenanigans without authorization, okay?"

"...uh-"

"_Okay?_"

"Y-Yes ma'am! Okay!"

"Good." She gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder. "Go on and head back to your dorm; take care of yourself." She promptly turned around - muttering about setting up a meeting? - and headed back into NERV.

The great skyscraper loomed like a tombstone over Tokyo-3; Shinji wandered why such a thought felt so appropriate. He quietly looked about, wondering where the nearest public transport was-

_BEEP BEEP._

-and blinking at the sight of an Hakone Academy high school student sitting on a black scooter, pulling a red rickshaw - bearing a stylish logo for _Proto Transport _\- behind it. The student in question, wearing large eyeglasses, and bearing a head full of frizzy black hair, looked intently at him. "Need a lift?"

"...actually, yes." _How convenient._ "Um...what's the fare-?"

"I'll charge NERV's general account."

"...uh-"

"You'd be surprised how many employees need a lift."

"...okay." Shinji gingerly got into the back of the rickshaw, buckling himself in. "...uh..." Nah, of _course_ he would have some kind of license, there was no way a transport service would let a high-schooler work otherwise, and _why_ did he look familiar? "Um...have I seen you somewhere...?"

"Probably. I have a few part-time jobs around the city."

"...oh." That might have explained it. "You're...very responsible, senpai...er..."

"Asking for a name?"

"Yes...?"

The student chuckled, drawing some tinted motorist's goggles over his eyes. "I have no name. Call me whatever you like."

"...um...?" Shinji wasn't sure if he was joking.

Then the scooter's motor _rumbled_ and _wait a second scooter motors shouldn't sound that loud_ and then they were _off going WAY TOO FAST_ and Shinji lost himself to screaming and hanging on for dear life.

xxxx

The nameless student's scooter puttered to a stop by the curb, Hakone Academy's dorms looming across a green field. "Here you go."

Shinji Ikari nervously stumbled out, his heart still beating at a physically improbable rate.

"Take care, little kouhai!" The scooter motor roared as the he jerked the handles to the left, pulling the empty rickshaw down an alleyway across the street.

Mere moments later, a trio of police cars - sirens blaring - swerved in front of the alleyway, barely unable to fit through.

Somehow, in spite of everything, _that student _had been the most harrowing part of his entire day. "..._ugh_..." he audibly groaned, suddenly feeling _extremely_ tired. He trudged along the walkway towards the Izanagi Dorms, too exhausted to care about the students staring his way, and _oh yeah_ he had kind of been marched out of the dorms this morning by Ayanami and two men in black, and _that's right_ he was wearing a NERV uniform. Wonderful.

It was this general malaise that clouded Shinji when he nearly bumped into Kensuke Aida, _also_ wearing a NERV uniform of his own. Somehow, the bespectacled boy looked even _more_ tired than he did. It probably had something to do with all of the technical manuals he was carrying. "...hey Ikari."

"...Aida-san."

"What was your day like?"

"...I fought a Shadow. I think I nearly died."

"Huh. Neat."

"You?"

"...became an intern for NERV. Was given a lot of homework. Dr. Akagi's a _slave driver._"

"...huh. That's rough."

The duo trudged to their dorm room, quietly entering it. Kaworu Nagisa was humming to himself as he worked at his desk, while Toji Suzuhara was reading from a comic book on his bed. The moment they came within view, Toji glared at them with _laser-like intensity._ "The hell happened with you two today?"

An unintelligible sound came from Kensuke's mouth.

Toji turned his gaze towards Shinji. "Well?!"

Shinji blurted, "I helped fight a rat-faced pervert in a speedsuit that turned into a rat-powered robot."

Toji threw his hands up, absolutely _done_ with them.

"...well, it sounds like you had a fun day," chirped Nagisa.

"...fine, _be that way._ Like I care," he grumbled, flippantly pointing at their desks. "The Class Rep dropped off today's notes and coursework for you. Be prepared to get interrogated tomorrow."

More unintelligible noises oozed past Kensuke's lips, as he went over to his desk. The various technical manuals resounded with a large _thud_, and he slowly got to work on _things.  
_  
Shinji settled for grabbing his SDAT player, jamming the earbuds into his head and _collapsing_ onto his bed. He sluggishly pressed the 'play' button. Waiting for the familiar classical music to lull him to sleep.

Alas, he hadn't checked the tape beforehand, as a pleasantly blue DAT cassette began to roll...

xxxx

_...and then his eyes blinked open. He was sitting in a metal chair in an empty auditorium; the short and bizarre man was there as before, amidst curtains of blue velvet. His silver-haired assistant, however, was sitting on her feet in another metal chair in front of him, staring eagerly at him._

_"Hi!" chirped Sokila, hands gripped onto her knees._

_"Welcome back to the Velvet Room," said Igor. "You have been through quite a bit today, haven't you?"_

__"...yes," admitted Shinji, looking over Sokila's head. "That tape..."__

__"It was your key to this place. As I said previously, your next visit would be of your own accord...and here you are."__

__"...I didn't check the tape before turning it on," he admitted.__

__"And yet you are here, nonetheless. Many journeys are unexpected, yet can have surprising destinations. These past days have been a testament to that."__

__"...I guess so." The Metaverse, and the Cognitive Protection Center; Personas, Archetypes, Shadows...and interesting roommates. Mostly. "So...why am I here now?"__

__Sokila chirped, "to see us, of course!" She nearly jumped out of her seat with excitement, barely catching herself. Alas, her momentum was enough to send her into the floor, crashing chest first. "Owie..."__

__Shinji impulsively stepped forward, helping the young girl to her feet. "A-Are you okay?!"__

__"...m'fine...I'm fine..." she slowly sat back down on her chair, curling up and rocking back and forth. "...m'not very good at this..."__

__He stared helplessly up at Igor, who merely chuckled in a genial manner. "Sokila is on a journey of her own; her destination is as yet unknown, like yours. How often shall your roads cross? That, my dear guest, is a decision you will have to make for yourself." He grabbed two cards off the top of his deck, taking one in each hand. "The Magician," he said, gesturing with the card in his right hand, portraying hands and abstract magical symbols, underneath an infinity sign. "Action and self-confidence, bound with immaturity and manipulation...and the Wheel of Fortune," he continued, gesturing with the card in his left hand, portraying a many-spoked wheel, prominent among the elements. "What goes up must come down, and vice-versa; an acknowledgment of the fate that binds, even as one tries to seize their own destiny..." His beady eyes stared intensely at him as he flipped the cards over, unveiling two familiar people. "Do these things fit Kensuke Aida and Goro Akechi, in your eyes?"__

__"...actually...yes. They do." Unnervingly so, for Aida. As far as Akechi-san...well, he was a Chief Warden in spite of having a self-image of one in chains. "How do these...arcana...work...?"__

__"The answers cannot be guaranteed with perfect accuracy, for the bonds on a human heart differ from person to person. Your Social Links mean different things to you, than they would to someone else. And yet, because you have awakened to your power, they can have much greater effects..." Igor slapped his hands together; with a mere shifting of his hands, the cards had vanished, leaving only a single card: the Fool. "Hamlet...a fine Persona indeed."__

__Sokila perked up at that. "Yeah! He's pretty cool!"__

__"Er...thanks?"__

__"However, you are not limited to just Hamlet...for your Persona ability is that of the **Wild Card**: the power to exhibit multiple facets and masks, with which to face myriad challenges."__

__"...wait, it is? How?"__

__"How you have such a power is less important than the reality that you possess it; as your Social Links grow in power, and as your mind experiences new things, the more Personas you will be able to wield. Think now, of the various things you have seen, in the world of the human consciousness: the concrete forms of human thought, and the dark phantasms of the human psyche; from these encounters, I can give birth to new Personas for you to use."__

__Shinji blinked, feeling utterly lost.__

__"Their forms may be fleeting and vague within the mind's eye...but do not fear, for your memories are a testament to what you have experienced. Never shy away from the things that continuously form the person you become...for that is the nature of the Fool: symbolized by zero, seemingly empty, yet endowed with infinite possibilities! A Fool is capable of becoming anything...so do not dread the road you walk."__

__"...I'll try. I guess? I'm still kind of lost..."__

__"Such is life. Yet I have faith that you will perform marvelously."__

__"Yeah!" cheered Sokila. "I bet you'll be awesome, no matter __

_what_ you do!"__

__"...thank you, Sokila-san."__

__The silver-haired girl puffed her cheeks out, as if annoyed by the honorific. "...you can call me 'chan'...if you want. But I'm a big girl, so I guess 'san' is okay..."__

__Shinji actually smiled, charmed by the little girl's endearing mannerisms. "...okay then, Sokila-chan."__

__She fidgeted in place, looking __

_really_ pleased by the honorific in spite of trying REAL hard not to be.  
__  
xxxx

And all the while, on a subconscious level, in words he had no way of knowing...a familiar voice spoke, within the depths of his being:

_I am **thou**, thou art I...  
Thou hast acquired a **new** bond._

_It shall **lead** thou to the truth  
that **parts** the seas of depravity._

_Take hold of the **Star** Arcana,  
and let it** guide** you  
to a new Promised Land..._

xxxx

_Shinji blinked, the starkness of that odd feeling somehow more noticeable in this place. "...huh."_

_Sokila perked up. "Was that a Social Link? Am **I **a Social Link? Does that mean I'm...uh...your Confident now?!"_

_"Confid**a**nt," impulsively corrected Shinji._

_"Yeah, that thing!"_

_"...um...I guess-?"_

_The girl squealed, jumping up and wrapping her arms around his neck. "YES! That means you have to come and visit even more now! Or else your Social Link thingy won't get strong!"_

_"...I...I guess so," he admitted, still someone bewildered, and yet pleased by how inordinately happy it made the little child. It felt good, deep down. "...I'll make sure to visit more."_

_"YAY!"_

_Igor chuckled, as one who had expected this outcome. "The Star...a symbol of faith and hope, an icon of joy and peace; one who brings glad tidings, even in the midst of gloom and ill omens...how fitting. For indeed, the mystery that lies ahead of you is a dire one indeed."_

_Shinji blinked, looking back at the bizarre old man. "...the mystery of Angel Syndrome, you mean?"_

_"Among other things, my dear guest. You have learned and experienced much about the power of the Persona...and yet, that is not the only power within your possession." He leaned forward, toothy grin widening imperceptibly. "In six days, there shall be a **new moon**. My advice is that you be wary, of what may come on that day. But I believe you will do well, regardless of what could happen."_

_...well, that certainly didn't sound ominous at all.  
_

xxxx

**END OF 6/10/2015**

xxxx

/just for the record  
/per a user poll on SpaceBattles and SufficientVelocity  
/the voice of Mister P  
/shall be Christopher Sabat, in the vein of Major Armstrong from Fullmetal Alchemist  
/...so yeah


	8. Thursday - June 11, 2015

_Sokila's grin was bright and cheerful, glowing as the sun._

_"Remember, we talked about this, right?"_

_She bounced up and down on her toes, barely containing herself._

_"Next time you see me..."_

_The faint haze of blue..._

_"...I wanna see a snowman that shoots **fire!** It'll be so cool!"_

_...began to brighten-_

xxxx

/Thursday: June 11, 2015/

/Room 23, 2nd Floor, Izanagi Dorms, Hakone Academy/

Shinji Ikari opened his eyes, memories of that other realm fading quickly. Impressions were made, seared into his thoughts. For some reason, he pondered a frigid Archetype producing fire. "...huh." That had been...interesting. At least he didn't feel tired. Grabbing his NERV-issue phone, he winced at the time: just past five in the morning. Classes were still hours away. Glancing around, he saw Toji Suzuhara sprawled on his lower bunk, but Kensuke Aida was actually slumped over his desk, surrounded by notebooks and manuals. An impulsive wince crossed his face - _poor Aida-san_ \- as he leaned over his bed, looking up; he barely caught the profile of Kaworu Nagisa, still sleeping. _Guess I'm the first one up...  
_  
Well, he did have coursework to do, didn't he?

Sighing, Shinji pulled himself out of his lower bunk, slothfully trudging towards his desk. The various forms seemed to stare menacingly at him, as though they could come to life and bite him.

_...I wonder if there are Archetypes that look like textbooks?  
_  
What if they had _teeth?  
_  
An impulsive shiver went down his spine as he pulled out his chair, intending to at least get some work done before the siren call of breakfast beckoned.

xxxx

/Room 1, 2nd Floor, Izanami Dorms, Hakone Academy/

Rei Ayanami stared down at her phone quietly.

**MK: We need to talk about a certain someone.  
MK: A guy in a purple tux, with red hair; ring any bells?  
MK: Get over to NERV as soon as you wake up.  
**  
The Major had sent those messages late last night. She had expected something like this. _How tiresome._ And yet, it was part of her role, and so she would acquiesce...no matter how much said role had grown to vex her.

With a quiet sigh, she quietly put on her school uniform before standing in the center of her room. Stilling her thoughts and feeling for her own soul, Rei closed her eyes as spirit and mind began to synchronize...

xxxx

_...and she emerged into that world of grayscale, where everything was loose and not quite nailed down. Physical and metaphysical reality tried to grab her, yet were unable to do so._

_As long as she willed otherwise, she was untouchable by such trifling things like space or time._

_She slipped away, phasing through walls and molecules; she curved around the residual A.T. Fields of the people all around her, their very presence tangible in a way beyond merely human senses. Yet, everyone was bound together by that same measure, never truly separate from one another, as though the boundaries of the soul were mere fiction._

_How true that was, in more ways than one; the Beast within despaired, as she ever did._

_A brisk walk was how it seemed for her, and yet it had been far swifter than that; she found herself beneath the bowels of NERV's Headquarters, standing outside a conference room. A familiar soul lied within._

_She forcefully withdrew her mind and soul-_

xxxx

...and thus she emerged with a sharp _snap_ of static, as atoms crashed back into a fully physical form. Without hesitation, she opened the doors, staring at the woman sitting at the head of the table. "Good morning, Major Katsuragi."

Misato huffed, looking at her with a sense of weariness. "It always freaks me out how you and Asuka can do that."

"Evangelion-users are unlike anyone else; were it not so, Project E would not have its efficacy." With sufficient training and understanding, Shinji Ikari would be able to do the same.

"Yeah yeah, preaching the choir. Take a seat." Right as Rei sat down, Misato went for the proverbial jugular. "Who is this **Mister P**?"

She was not surprised by Major Katsuragi's question. "He is an individual of uncertain origin."

"And yet you know him."

"So to speak."

Misato rapped her knuckles against the table. "Cut the crap, Ayanami," she ground out, teeth clenched tightly. "After I sent Shinji-kun home yesterday, I pulled text logs from both of your phones. I also pulled the audio from the van you used to bring Shinji-kun and Aida to NERV yesterday. From what it looks like, you _sent_ him to retrieve those boys from the Metaverse. You _know_ who he is."

Katsuragi's doggedness was expected. Vexing, but characteristic of her. "Not completely," she admitted.

"Tell me everything you know."

"I will not." Misato would pursue Mister P to the ends of the earth, if she had but the _smallest_ morsel. Regardless of her own misgivings about Pen-Pen, she could not allow Misato to interfere. "Whatever you may believe, he is not a threat to you or to Shinji Ikari."

"That's not good enough," she growled. "I **order** you to tell me everything you know."

Rei sighed, and repeated, "I will not."

Misato actually looked _shocked._ "...this bout of insubordination is very unlike you."

"If you say so," she coolly replied.

BAM, went Misato's fist onto the table. "Damn it Rei, I _will_ pull rank on you if I have to!"

Rei arched an eyebrow. "Rank, you say?" She shook her head. "You are on loan from the Anti-Terror Task Force. You are Director of Operations only when it comes to deploying NERV assets against Acolytes and Ghosts. When it comes to rank, I am ultimately subordinate only to Commander Ikari."

"...then I'll definitely have a word with him about your behavior." The woman wanted to say more. A _lot_ more, Rei could tell. "...I'm only trying to protect you kids."

"I am aware."

"Then why hold back on who this guy is?! What does he have on you!?"

"You miss the point, Major Katsuragi. You do not need to know. That is all there is to it."

"You're not allowed to _make_ that decision."

"You are wrong. I am allowed to do many things." Rei slowly stood up from her chair. "It is almost time for class." She turned and began walking away.

"We're not done here yet!"

The blunette briefly stopped. "You would not be able to stop me." She let her words - a threat? A promise? A mere statement of fact? - hang in the air. "That is what it means to be an Evangelion-user in this world." And so she left, leaving Misato Katsuragi alone. She did not venture into that strange in-between, to return to Hakone Academy. Not yet. She opted for the nearest elevator, if only to collect her thoughts.

So many thoughts. So...very..._many._

There was a brief pinch in her right hand. She held it up, staring listlessly at the bloody wounds her fingernails had gouged into her palm. A lapse; a bout of weakness; forgivable, in the long run. It would heal before she ever set foot back onto Hakone Academy.  
_  
I am tired.  
_  
So very tired.

xxxx

/Class 2-A, Junior High Branch, Hakone Academy/

Classes had been going okay. So far. For some reason, the Class Representative kept a wary eye on him, every so often. Why? He wasn't sure. He simply focused on the words of their history instructor.

"-every nation has epochal events, of sorts, that signify changes in the way that _everything_ works. For America, you have events like their own Revolutionary War, or their Civil War; for China, there was the Mongolian invasion that established foreigner control for the first time in their entire history, or the Xinhai Revolution that ended their dynastic rule, or the triumph of the Communist Party over the Nationalist Party; there's Second Impact, of course, but that applies to _everyone_. Japan's no different." Makoto Hyuga, an even-heeled man with a head of thick, slicked brown hair, readjusted his large eyeglasses. "Much of our history is colored by war, and as we've previously discussed, it was a practical constant during the Sengoku period."

_We were covering this at my old school,_ thought Shinji, somewhat relieved that he wasn't going to be left out in the proverbial cold.

"However, all things come to an end, and power would eventually consolidate itself. We turn to the _Three Unifiers_: Ieyasu Tokuguwa, Hideyoshi Toyotomi, and the third...well, anyone who's read any manga or played a game set during that timeframe would know the third. Ikari-kun?"

"Yes, sensei?"

"Who was the third Unifier?"

_...I should know this one._ Panic time. _I should know this one!_ "Um...it was...Mitsuhide Akechi...?" There were several titters and snickers from around him. _AAAAAAAAAGH.  
_  
Hyuga-sensei's eyeglasses suddenly seemed to go opaque. "...looks like someone never read _Flame of Recca._ A wrong answer, but close, in a sense. Ayanami-san?"

"The third Unifier was Nobunaga Oda."

"Correct! And would you happen to know the relation between Mitsuhide Akechi and Nobunaga Oda?"

"Akechi was a retainer of Oda. His rebellion ultimately led to Oda's death."

"Indeed!" Hyuga-sensei began writing rapidly on the chalkboard. "We'll cover Mitsuhide Akechi's role more thoroughly when we discuss the Honnō-ji Incident, but Nobunaga Oda left an indelible mark on our history. Through innovative military tactics and brutal methods, Nobunaga would gain control over much of Honshu during his life, which is why a lot of his fictional characterizations range from evil and heartless to downright demonic. There are certainly some exceptions to that, but the overwhelming majority depict him as such. His rise to power as a daimyō began in the Owari Province..."

Besides Shinji, Kensuke Aida - still looking somewhat sleepy - quietly whispered, "_How do you miss Nobunaga Oda? Toyotomi maybe, but NOBUNAGA?_"

_Please stop reminding me,_ he mentally groaned. He would've blamed Goro Akechi for the mere mental association that his name carried, but that would've been rude and unfair.

"_When we find time, I'm making you play _Nobunaga's Ambition_**.**_"

A silent but merciless glare from Hikari Horaki halted Aida's whispering in its tracks.

And so classes continued.

xxxx

Lunchtime rolled around.

Shinji Ikari blinked as the Class Representative sat across from him, a forkful of fried chicken hovering in the air. "...uh...hi?"

"You and Aida-san were absent yesterday," remarked Hikari Horaki.

"...yes." Had no one told her? Was he about to be upbraided for getting _kidnapped_, for all intents and purposes?

"Suzuhara told me yesterday what he knew. It would make sense, given that Ayanami was absent as well. I'm not here to get on your case for that."

"...okay." Then why was she here?

The pigtailed girl soldiered on, "in spite of what you may have heard about me...I'm a reasonable person." A pause. "Well, I try to be."

Strangely enough, _none_ of their classmates were looking in their direction, save for Aida (who seemed somewhat remorseful and agonized) and Suzuhara (who looked vaguely annoyed...then again, that was a common expression as far as Shinji was concerned). Was something bad going to happen? "...um...I actually haven't heard that much about you." He generally ignored gossip as much as possible...except when it was about him, but that was only reasonable, right?

"...ah." Horaki seemed vaguely surprised. "That's very admirable of you, Ikari-san. More students could stand to focus instead of wasting their energy on rumormongering." Shinji quickly bit into the chicken nugget, hoping she wouldn't find it rude. "Anyway, I just wanted to encourage you to keep up with your studies. And to join a club...preferably this afternoon."

"...okay...?"

Horaki sighed. "I just want you to enjoy your life as a student. Truly, I do." She glanced over to where Rei Ayanami was sitting, by herself. "I'm aware that Ayanami does a lot of 'work' with NERV. And, judging by what little Fuyutsuki-sensei was allowed to tell me, you're in a similar situation." She looked back at him, looking slightly softer. "I don't want you to end up like her."

"Like her?" he blurted out.

"Like...like someone who's only going through the motions. Who doesn't appear to enjoy anything." Horaki frowned, briefly looking at the world beyond their class windows. "I can't claim to know her story. I've tried to get her to open up, but she remains closed off. It just seems...sad. That's all."

"...you're that worried about me?" he asked, faintly flummoxed. "You don't even know me."

The Class Rep flushed, not with embarrassment, but indignation. "I'm not the Class Representative because it makes me _look_ good." She leaned forward - and _huh_, her freckles were actually kind of distinctive - and admitted, "it has its own headaches. And not a lot of people appreciate it."

"Then why do it?"

"Aside from the fact that someone has to do it?" She smiled sadly. "I want my classmates to do well. That's all there is to it."

_...huh._ How selfless of her.

xxxx

And all the while, on a subconscious level, in words he had no way of knowing...a familiar voice spoke, within the depths of his being:

_I am **thou**, thou art I...  
Thou hast acquired a **new** bond._

_It shall **lead** thou to the truth  
that **parts** the seas of depravity._

_Take hold of the **Empress** Arcana,  
and let it** guide** you  
to a new Promised Land..._

xxxx

Feeling rather heartened by her generosity, he responded, "okay then. I'll...I'll do my best."

Horaki smiled; genuinely, he believed. "That's all I ever demand of anyone. It's just that, well...not everyone gives their best, in my experience." She stood up, politely bowing at him. "I'll leave you to your lunch, Ikari-san."

"Oh. Thank you." A light smile impulsively grew on his face. _Well...that was pleasant._ He prepared to bite into some soybeans when he looked out of his peripheral vision; Aida was shaking his head with a knowing grimace...and Suzuhara was looking at him with a more concrete sense of annoyance. Perhaps with actual irritation. _What did I do now? _Oh well. It wasn't like he could do anything about it. _Huh...I wonder what club I should join?_ he mused.

Soon enough, lunchtime was over, and classes resumed.

xxxx

Classes had ended for the day.

Shinji Ikari walked through the halls of Hakone Academy, wracking his brain to make a decision.

Hikari Horaki had been kind enough to provide a pamphlet detailing all of the various clubs that were available. Kensuke Aida had _also_ been kind enough to scribble in his opinions about said clubs when he hadn't been looking. The overall variety was somewhat bewildering, especially compared to his last school...then again, Hakone Academy was a pretty massive place.

Alas, it seemed continuing on with his _prior_ club of choice would be impossible, as it simply didn't exist at Hakone Academy. _No Farming Club for me, then._ There wasn't even a Garden Club as a decent substitute! _I guess the Cooking Club is a possibility_. Then again, cooking felt _weird_ when he wasn't able to do it for someone else, and it wasn't like his dorm had the proper facilities for it outside of the common rooms, which were _way _too open and public to actually cook in.

Having unreasonable hang-ups was _hard_, sometimes.

_Maybe the Music Club?_ That one seemed pleasant enough...though, maybe the type of music wouldn't be too his taste. There were the various sports clubs, which didn't really interest him too much...even though some of the choices were downright weird. _What kind of junior high school has a MARKSMEN Club?!_ Then again, most high schools these days had one, so maybe it wasn't that weird?

Some of Aida's notes were oddly helpful. So to speak. The Supernatural, Spiritual and Religion Clubs were circled, leading to the words '**these may be helpful for providing extra Ghost tactics! Not exactly my cup of tea, but who knows what you'll be able to pull off with your Evangelion? Seriously, I'd really like to know what it is you can do with it**'. If nothing else, that was a sure sign for him to _stay away_, because he was going to be dealing with that sort of thing often enough with NERV as it was...and clubs were supposed to be enjoyed. Ideally. _Then again, they might be useful...?_ He briefly passed over some more notes - next to the Track Club, Aida had written '**Toji goes here. It might help you bond. Or it may make him more annoyed. It's fifty-fifty, at this point**' - and paused at the _Persona _Club. His roommate's notes were...less than charitable: '**nothing but a bunch of posers. They have no _true_ knowledge of what an A.T. agent does. Two thumbs down! XP**'

_...I think I'm good._ Because again, he would have enough to deal with Personas _outside _of school, as it was. _Maybe I'm looking at this wrong?_ Maybe it would be best to choose a club that wouldn't be too strenuous or physically demanding? There was the Art Club, the Astronomy Club, the History Club, the Hiking Club, the Gaming Club, the Movie Club...there were just so many choices! _Do I really have to pick one?_ Maybe he would default to the 'Going-Home' Club, and simply not pick one. It was voluntary, right? _Though, Horaki-san didn't make it SOUND voluntary...AGGGGH. _His mind kept going in circles, even as he walked rather aimlessly down the halls, instinctively avoiding walking into other people. _Maybe I should flip a coin? Or just pick one at random?_ No, randomly picking a club would turn out _horribly_ for him, going by his luck. _Knowing me, I'd end up in the Psychology Club, or the Cheerleading Club, or the Comedy Club._ Because if there was at least one thing he had no business trying to be, it was _funny. What do I choose...?  
_  
"You've walked past the teachers' lounge three times in the past five minutes."

Shinji's entire thought process ground to a halt around the same time his feet did. He robotically looked up, staring into the face of his homeroom teacher. "Er...hello, Fuyutsuki-sensei."

"Trying to decide which club to join?"

"Y-Yes."

The older man sighed, his face bearing a whiff of nostalgia. "Everyone has that struggle, in some form or fashion. You're no different, and neither was Yui-kun."

"...my mother...?" he dumbly said.

Fuyutsuki gestured towards the door to the teachers' shared office space. "I believe I previously promised you some stories. Maybe they'll help you come to a decision."

Shinji looked around the elongated lounge, formed from three rooms joined end-to-end; two rows of extended tables stretched across that expanse, hosting desk-sized cubicle walls that marked out each teacher's place. They were low enough to see over, yet high enough for forms and charts and pictures to be tacked on. The walls were otherwise lined with filing cabinets, doubtlessly filled with academic records of all kinds. He watched several teachers working - Ibuki-sensei, Aoba-sensei, and Ooi-sensei were writing diligently at their desks; Takao-sensei and Hyuga-sensei were amiably chatting about something - while Fuyutsuki-sensei took a seat at his own place. "Are you aware of my history, Ikari-kun?"

"Oh. Um...not really, sensei."

The older man quietly shifted a few stacks of papers, revealing a small picture frame. A considerably younger Fuyutsuki was pictured, alongside two other women - one with short and messy burgundy hair, the other wearing glasses with black hair in a bob cut - and an even older man in a white suit, with sterling silver hair and a goatee. "_Katsuhito and his Terrible Trio_; that's what we were called in the Eighties."

"Katsuhito...?"

"**Katsuhito Ikari** was one of the pioneers of Metaphysical Biology. His contemporaries Takeharu Kirijo and Eiichiro Takeba were similarly important in the development of Cognitive Psience. As such, many deemed it fitting that Dr. Ikari's students would be interested in the interaction between the two fields." He prodded at the white-suited man in the photo. "That man right there was your grandfather. Your mother's father, to be precise."

"...oh." How strange. Here was evidence of a family member: a tangible connection to his own past, to where he had come from. And yet, he was somewhat...blank. Was that wrong? Was it because he hadn't really known much about his grandfather to begin with? _Huh._ "...my grandfather..." His mother's father...wait. His _mother's _father? "Then...Ikari is...?"

Fuyutsuki smiled, his lips twisting into something wry and wiry. "It was your mother's surname. Your father actually took it, when he married your mother. His reasons...well, there was plenty of speculation about why, back then. But that's a story for another time." He looked back at the decades-old photo. "I'm not sure where the 'Terrible Trio' name took hold. But people applied it to **Naoko Akagi**, **Wakaba Isshiki**, and myself. Maybe because we as a group somehow blew up the university labs on at least four separate occasions."

"...four?" _Why is that the thing that jumps out at you?! _he berated himself.

Fortunately, Fuyutsuki-sensei apparently found his question amusing instead of insulting. "Personally, I was always unfairly blamed. I mostly focused on the abstract portions of metaphysical biology; given that Naoko-chan and Wakaba-chan were more into the applied science_s_, I always said it was _their_ fault. Alas, we were all viewed in tandem, much to the chagrin of Ikari-sensei."

Shinji tried visualizing a younger Fuyutsuki bantering with the two women in the photo about complicated concepts and strange theories. _Wakaba Isshiki and Naoko Akagi...I wonder if she's related to Dr. Akagi? _Surely not; his life wasn't _that_ convenient or coincidental. It was a big world, after all, and there were a lot of people in it. "...so...how did you meet my mother?"

"Academically speaking, it would be after she became my kouhai at Osaka University in 1995..._but_, being close to Ikari-sensei, meeting his family was inevitable." He opened a drawer, which was cluttered with various knick-knacks and trinkets. "I believe this photo with your mother was from...1986? She would have been nine, then."

_An actual photo?_ Shinji gulped.

(His sensei looked at him with that strange sadness again. "Unfortunately, I wasn't able to obtain any photos of your mother. When I requested them, your father said that none were left.")

_An actual photo._ His memory of his mother was...vague. Vague was a good word. Yet, there was something far more _raw_ about that ambiguity, relative to his grandfather. Where Katsuhito Ikari had drawn little in the way of reaction - _and wow, that thought made him feel like a MASSIVE jerk _\- the thought of a picture of _Yui Ikari_ made his breath draw short. His narrowed in on Fuyutsuki-sensei's hand as it pulled out a laminated photo, which revealed...what was that sound? It had been sharp, loud, lighthearted...wait. He had just laughed.

He had laughed impulsively at the photo, acting without conscious input. His hands had already clamped over his mouth, instinctively mortified at such a noise. But really, he couldn't be blamed! It was just too..._cute! _Unexpectedly so!

"It is quite the photo, isn't it?" remarked the man with a knowing smile. In it, a brown-haired girl, clad in an adult's lab coat, was posing dramatically; all the while, she was standing upon the shoulders of Fuyutsuki-sensei and Isshiki, with Akagi standing to the side. It was the little details that did it: the weary look on the man's face, Isshiki's askew glasses, the fact that Akagi was pointing and laughing at them both, and the grin on his mother's face that just _screamed_ Childish Rambunctiousness. "It was...a simpler time, for many of us."

Shinji, trusting himself not to laugh anymore, stared intently at the image of his mother's face. _She looks like me._ Or rather, _he_ looked like her. There was a striking familiarity, looking at her youthful face. "...can...can I...?"

"...those times were precious to me, Ikari-kun," said Fuyutsuki, as though divining the answer to his unfinished question. "And photos like these are especially so...however, I certainly wouldn't be opposed to providing you a copy."

"...thank you, sensei."

As the older man stood up to head to the copy machine, he had one more question. "Are you still having difficulty with picking a club?"

"...oh. Right. Clubs." Shinji pulled the pamphlet back up, looking at the available selections. For some reason, the sense of anxiety had largely vanished. "...do you have any suggestions?"

The older man chuckled. "Think of the things that you enjoy, or that you find relaxing...and then weigh those against what you want out of your _time_ at a club. Think about that while I make a copy, and then we'll discuss."

"...okay."

xxxx

True enough, Fuyutsuki-sensei had been helpful in the end...in more ways than one.

Shinji stared at the color copy of the old photo, worried that the picture would up and vanish if he looked away. _I should get this framed.  
_  
Before long, he ended up in front of the door of a particular clubroom, one that he had ultimately settled on after several minutes of conversing with his homeroom teacher. Delicately placing the photo into his book bag, he then knocked - _lightly_ \- on the door several times; he had been advised that walking in unannounced would have been considered especially rude by the club's current members.

Sure enough, after several seconds, the door was opened ever so slightly. "Um...can I help you?" asked the girl on the other end.

"Um, yes, actually. I'm...here to join the Literature Club."

"Oh...really?"

Why did she sound so bewildered by that idea? "...yes?"

"...well, I guess I can't say no." The girl - bearing large eyeglasses, long black hair in an old-fashioned _hime_ cut, and a tiny mole below her lips - slowly opened the door. "I'm the club's president, **Mayumi Yamagishi**. I...hope you enjoy your time here."

_That's the plan_, mused Shinji. Truth be told, he had defaulted to the most practical of reasons for joining the Literature Club.

First: based on his own suspicions regarding NERV and the Anti-Terror Task Force, he was likely going to be preoccupied for the foreseeable future. Thus, a physically or mentally taxing club was _verboten.  
_  
Second: just having some time set aside where he could sit down and read a book _without_ the fate of his academic career (and-slash-or the fate of the _world_) riding on it sounded just _dandy.  
_  
Third: ...no, that was pretty much it.

_...put like that, those sound pretty selfish._ At least they were sensible reasons to be selfish...yeah, that sounded somewhat better. _I wonder if I can get away with napping in here?  
_  
"So...what brought you to the Literature Club...?" inquired Yamagishi, school uniform covered by a yellow sweater vest of sorts. "Y-You don't have to answer, if you don't want to..."

"I...guess I just wanted something peaceful and quiet," he honestly answered, looking at the various students sitting around on beanbag chairs and cushions, caught up in reading various novels or textbooks. "Not that I mean to make it sound boring, or anything-!"

"No no, that's okay, I get it," nervously assuaged the club president. "Um...our members...are those who are more interested in reading than doing anything else, really..." She nervously scratched at the tiny beauty mark above her chin. "At least this way, we have a place to ourselves, and aren't really hassled by anyone..."

"...I see." The fact that none of the other club members piped up to challenge or dispute her assertion said plenty. _So this club is full of people who kind of want to keep to themselves, and simply read without being bothered._ Truly, he had picked a winner! "...so...do I just grab something and start reading...?" he asked, pointing at the various bookshelves lining the walls.

A rather lanky boy, reading some sort of thick nonfictional book, huffed. "That's the idea," he droned.

Yamagishi was not so sarcastic. "Oh, of course. Any of our books are available to read. We...are _supposed_ to discuss what we're reading, and talk about the kinds of ideas they promote...literary analysis...stuff like that..." she murmured nervously. "But...our supervisor, Aoba-sensei, kinda lets us do our thing, so he can focus on the other clubs he enjoys more...which we don't really mind, honestly, so...everyone wins...?"

"...okay then." Shinji scanned the various titles - the vast majority being works translated into Japanese, but with a fair selection being in English for practice with the language - and paused at one in particular. _Huh...so he's based on something that was really real._ He had understood Misato's words about the Archetypes and Personas within the cognitive world being based on figures of folklore, so it shouldn't have been any surprise that his Persona was the same...but still, it was kind of _weird._ "I think I'll start with this one," he said, grabbing a book in Japanese titled _The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark._

Yamagishi blinked. "A work of Shakespeare? He's really important when it comes to English works, so that's a good choice...I don't know if that translation gets the archaic English words across that well, though..." She opened her mouth to ask something else, before clamming it shut. A few seconds passed. "...well, enjoy your reading." The girl quickly returned to a rather old-looking recliner chair, sitting down and returning to her own book, which was marked with the title of _Kokoro_.

Shinji nodded, finding an empty beanbag of his own. Content that at least the next couple of hours were going to be relatively uneventful, he opened it and began reading. _Act One. Scene One, Elsinore...a platform before the castle...FRANCISCO at his post, enter to him BERNARDO?_ Shinji blinked, feeling somewhat flummoxed; Hamlet was a _play?  
_  
Well...reading a play as though it were a novel was certainly going to be...interesting.

xxxx

/2nd Floor, Izanagi Dorm, Hakone Academy/

Evening was in full swing; Shinji Ikari, carrying a small bowl of microwaved rice and spices from the common kitchens, felt a sense of...satisfaction.

("Feel free to take it with you," said Yamagishi, quietly trying to push the _Hamlet_ book into his hands. "Just keep reading...if you have time, that is. We meet every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday...though, don't let that stop you from reading whenever you want to...okay?" A pause. It lasted several seconds. "...yeah...so...bye?")

_Yamagishi-san was...nice._ He had ended up in a club that was bound to be relatively enjoyable; he had gotten a photo of his _mother_ from Fuyutsuki-sensei; and he had managed to get through the day relatively intact! _One Oda-sized flub aside, classes went okay._ And he had apparently gotten on the good side of the Class Representative! _Today went...well._ That was okay to admit, right? His luck as of late had been so positively _horrid_ that even trying to think of a day going well seemed _hey Suzuhara was walking beside him now._ "...hi?"

"Hrm," grunted the jock.

"...so, how'd your day go?" he asked, trying to make small talk.

"You'd know, you were there for most of it."

_...I'm terrible at small talk._ That was the right conclusion to make. "...I...guess so..."

The boy's lips curdled into something approaching disdain. "...whatever." They arrived at Room 23, with the taller boy taking the lead. Shinji quietly followed him inside, looking about for Kensuke Aida. Sure enough, he was at his desk, a fact that caused Suzuhara to gripe. "The hell are you workin' on?"

Aida shot his friend a withering glare. "Something involving my new..._internship_."

"Like what?"

"Dr. Akagi wanted me to write about Carl _Jung_ of all people. I can look up his info on the Internet anytime! How exactly is this supposed to help with MAGI maintenance and debugging?!" The bespectacled boy dramatically wailed, throwing himself at Shinji's face. "_Save me from that wicked witch, Ikari!_"

"...uh..." What exactly was he supposed to do? "...everything will be all right...?" Yeah, _he_ didn't even believe that one.

Aida's bombastic tears swiftly faded. "...you're no help."

A delighted chuckle echoed from Kaworu Nagisa, who was occupying his own desk. "Kensuke-kun has been rather despondent since returning from classes...on the other hand," he turned around, looking at him with those eerie red eyes, and said, "you seem to be in a relatively good mood. How did your day go, Shinji-kun?"

"...me?"

Toji huffed, sitting at his own desk with exaggerated irritation. "No, he's talking 'bout the _other_ Shinji Ikari. 'Course he means you!"

"...right." Because that was _obvious_. "...um, it went pretty well. I joined a club."

"Oh? Which one?"

"Literature."

The silver-haired boy smiled. "A rather peaceful and serene choice...it suits you." He glanced over at Aida, who had slunk back over to his desk. "Now if only Kensuke-kun followed his own extracurricular schedule with any propriety."

"Hey, I got _bored_ with the Military Club," grumbled Aida, ripping off a piece of paper and wadding it up. With nonchalant ease, he tossed it at Toji's head, interrupting the athletic boy's own studies. "Besides, I made do with my own hobbies back home...at least, I _used_ to." The bespectacled boy trailed off into some nondescript grumbles. Shinji thought he heard something unflattering about NERV. Then a retaliatory ball of foam smacked him in the face, courtesy of Suzuhara. "Not enough spin. Four out of ten."

"And that's why I'm on the track team instead of in the Baseball Club."

"Even basic athletes can throw a good pitch."

"If ya want, I can pitch my running shoes at you."

As Suzuhara and Aida devolved into playfully violent banter - at least, Shinji _hoped_ it was playful - he looked over at Nagisa. "So...what club are you in?" Someone of Nagisa's stature and demeanor...he could easily imagine Drama Club, or Art Club. Or perhaps the Music Club-

"I'm in the Boxing Club."

-and that's when Shinji's brain decided to take a hike, because _what._ "...the Boxing Club?"

Nagisa sighed, seemingly troubled by his disbelief. "Everyone reacts that way when I tell them that...alas, I suppose it is because I come across as a lover, instead of a fighter. A truly vexing fate, is it not?"

Suzuhara snorted. "Hardly. You couldn't make up your mind last year, so we just had you pick a Club at random out of a bucket." He briefly grumbled, nonetheless. "Don't let the slim build fool you. I've seen him knock out guys who outweighed him by fifteen kilos, and he _still_ somehow manages to look pretty while doing it."

"Truly, it is an unenviable curse, Toji-kun."

_...nope, still not seeing it._ "The _Boxing_ Club?" repeated Shinji.

The boy tittered. "Does it truly seem so unbelievable, Shinji-kun? Perhaps I will simply have to_...show_ you my moves."

"And he wonders why people spread rumors when he uses innuendo like that," snarked Toji.

Nagisa blinked owlishly. "What innuendo?" asked Nagisa.

"Oh come on, you know _exactly_ what you said!"

Aida cackled, as Toji's ire briefly directed itself at Nagisa. "It's no use, Toji. _Kaworunium_ is the densest material known to the Academy!"

"I thought osmium was the densest material."

Shinji stared dumbly at the trio as the traded barbs and banter and pretensions at cluelessness, feeling somewhat...left out. And yet, at least right now, that didn't bother him in the slightest. _My roommates are weird._ Time to distract himself with homework! And his bowl of rice!

For a time, he successfully did so.

Then he got a text message from an unknown number that still managed to have a defined name.

**HEROD: I HAVE A HYPOTHETICAL QUESTION FOR YOU.  
HEROD: DO YOU PREFER EATING WITH UTENSILS OR CHOPSTICKS?  
HEROD: WE AWAIT YOUR ANSWER.  
HEROD: ALSO, THERE IS NO RIGHT OR WRONG ANSWER.  
HEROD: PLEASE RESPOND WITHIN 48 HOURS.  
**  
_...okay...?_ Just when he thought his day had been light on the weirdness.

Perhaps that was why Shinji felt relatively little in the way of guilt when he ignored the message entirely, turning back to his math homework. _Maybe this is what people call spam...?_ Was it for e-mail only, or did text messages count? _I think text messages also get spam...  
_  
Yeah, that sounded perfectly logical.

xxxx

**END OF 6/11/2015**


	9. Friday - June 12, 2015

_Sokila looked at him with vaguely-concealed irritation._

_"You didn't come back..."_

_Well, 'vaguely-concealed' might be too mild._

_"...I guess it's okay."_

_Her cheeks puffed out._

_"Hikari Horaki seems okay...so does Mayumi Yamagishi..."_

_...wait, what?_

_"...but I think you can do better!"_

_The faint haze of blue began to brighten-_

xxxx

/Friday: June 12, 2015/

/Room 23, 2nd Floor, Izanagi Dorms, Hakone Academy/

Shinji Ikari snorted, eyes blinking rapidly; it was still dark. He snuck a glance at his phone...

**01:53 AM**

...and groaned, rolling back over to go to sleep.

xxxx

/The Melon Patch, Downtown Tokyo-3/

As far as bars went, the _Melon Patch_ was okay. Relatively classy, despite its cheapness. 'Priced for blue collar with a white collar shine', its proprietor had often said. It probably had a lot to do with the old aesthetic, with brick walls and hazy yellow lights and wooden furniture that somehow seemed ancient in spite of their polished shine. The faint fog of smoke was probably another one, as it was one of the few establishments in the city that allowed for cigarettes and cigars to be smoked inside.

The live jazz band probably helped, too.

Misato Katsuragi quietly sipped at her can of beer, letting her thoughts drift.

"A little early in the week to come here, don't you think?"

She glanced over at the bartender-slash-owner, his lips twisted into that oh-so-familiar grin. It was the kind of grin that belonged to those who knew _way_ more than they ought to, those who kept all their cards close to the chest, yet teased their secrets so damn _much._ It was honestly infuriating, but she had gotten used to that. "It's still Friday."

"You know what I mean," remarked Ryoji Kaji as he wiped whiskey glasses with a dish rag. Most of the regulars had left by now, seeing as how he would be closing in less than an hour. "Rough work day?"

"Work's same as ever. Had a crappy start, though," she admitted. "Defiant subordinates. Well, someone who _should_ be a subordinate, were it not for how screwed up our world is."

"The world's been screwed for quite a long time, my dear."

"Yeah yeah, you don't have to go on your little spiel." Another sip; the buzz was rather nice, now. "Anything new?"

"Nothing particularly special, I'm afraid." He started stacking clean glasses, brown ponytail bobbing with each movement. "Will your 'not-a-subordinate' be disciplined?"

"It'll depend on what the big guy decides. Already submitted my formal complaint, so we'll have to wait and see."

"...come to think of it, there was an interesting news story I heard that you mind enlightening. I'll make sure to forward it to you."

"...I see." Looks like she was due for a Metaverse encounter in the near future..._after_ she had at least five hours of sleep. "I'll take you up on that." She pounded back the rest of her beer - the sixth one of the night - before slowly rising. "Put it on my tab."

"Already done." There was a brief beat. "Your cab is waiting outside."

"What a gentleman," she joked. "Service on demand."

"Called it about twenty minutes ago. I figured you'd finish by now."

"...heh. Guess you know me too well," she said, with a knowing smile that was yet forlorn and sad.

"Likewise." His was equally melancholy.

Two people, who knew each other so well, split apart precisely because of that. Her form carved a brief silhouette in the smoky haze, an image of the hole in each of their hearts.

But that was a story for another time.

xxxx

/Courtyards, Hakone Academy/

Large walkways connected the dorms to their respective school buildings, bordered by tall _katsura_ trees that provided plentiful shade as a veritable flood of students made their way to the academic halls. The rising sun's light filtered through the heart-shaped leaves, providing a lovely green ambience to the morning.

At least, Shinji thought so, as he continued reading from his book...well, play...playbook? Yeah, that sounded right. _HAMLET said, 'then saw you not his face?' HORATIO said, 'oh yes, my lord...he wore his beaver up'...his beaver?_ He blinked quizzically. _What does a beaver have to do with anything?_ Why didn't this version come with translator's notes?

"You're awfully deep into that book of yours," griped Kensuke Aida, who still appeared somewhat sleep-deprived. "Does it have anything insightful?"

"...maybe?" He hadn't even gotten past the second Scene, yet, if only because of all that odd words he'd had to look up! "I've had to use my phone to look up a lot of new words."

Toji Suzuhara, lazily keeping up with long strides, glanced at the title. "Ham...let? Why'd you pick that one?"

"...it spoke to me," slowly answered Shinji. Which was truthful, in a way. _How much am I allowed to talk about the Metaverse with other people?_ NERV stuff was kind of off-limits per his contract, but what about the cognitive world in general? _I should ask Misato when I next see her.  
_  
"Maybe you should lend it to Toji. He needs help with English," joked Aida.

"Screw off, Ken. I don't need any crap from a guy who looks like he's about to keel over."

"_You_ try interning for NERV!"

"Maybe if I ever get abducted, I'll look into it," he snarked back.

Shinji, meanwhile, had tried over and over again to make sense of the phrasing, but to no avail. However, before he could think to reach for his phone, a familiar face walked up beside him. "Oh, good morning Ikari-san," greeted Mayumi Yamagishi, book bag held in front of her. "I'm glad to see you're reading your book!"

_Maybe she'll know._ Yamagishi-san seemed like an intelligent person. "Say, do you know what it means to wear a beaver up?"

Toji and Kensuke nearly crashed into each other, so great was their shock. Several nearby students immediately looked at him, mostly with scandalized expressions. Yamagishi's face went _beet_ red with embarrassment. "Um...um...I...d-don't...um..."

_...what did I say?  
_  
"The hell kinda book you reading?!" exclaimed Suzuhara, even as Aida suddenly found himself struggling to contain his laughter.

"A play, why?" asked Shinji. _What did I say?!_ "Does wearing a beaver mean something bad?" The scene sure didn't make it sound like it.

Her face went _redder. _"Um...w-well...I'm s-s-sure context...would h-h-help..."

And that's when Kaworu Nagisa piped in. "I like beavers," he cheerfully remarked. "They have rather sharp teeth."

Aida finally fell over laughing, while Suzuhara choked on the air. Yamagishi's face took on the consistency of a ripe tomato. "Um..._um_..._gottagonicetalkingtoyouBYE!_" She took off running, as one fleeing for her life.

Shinji blinked. _Seriously, what did I say?!_ "Nagisa-san, do _you_ know what it means to wear a beaver?"

"Seriously dude, _stop saying that,_" growled Suzuhara, even while Aida kept laughing from where he had fallen.

"I'm just asking a question!" he exclaimed.

Nagisa hummed thoughtfully. "Are pelts involved?" he asked seriously.

"I'm..." he looked back at the book. "...not sure?"

The silver-haired boy sighed. "Then it truly seems a mystery. Perhaps your Class Representative would know? Horaki-san _is_ near the top of your class, from what I hear."

"IKARI, NO!" yelled Suzuhara.

"IKARI, _YES!_" barked Aida from further back, encouraging everyone's apparent devolution into madness.

_...I'm just going to look it up on my phone,_ mentally grumbled Shinji as he pulled it out and began searching for the meaning of the word 'beaver'.

Later, if asked, Shinji would insist - upon discovering some 'alternate' definitions of the word in question - that his immediate scream of shock, disbelief, and unadulterated _embarrassment_ lasted no longer than three seconds.

xxxx

/Class 2-A, Junior High Branch, Hakone Academy/

Four periods _and_ lunchtime had elapsed, and the residual embarrassment had still yet to fade for Shinji Ikari. The storm clouds that had begun to gather by third period were now dropping their payload, pelting the outside with fat drops of rain. It certainly fit his mood. _I can't believe I said that stuff to a girl!_ He was never going to live this down.

The words of Shinobu Nebukawa actually served as a pleasing balm, if only because his droning voice was easy to ignore. "-historical trends since Second Impact have demonstrated that certain phenomena correlate with lunar phases," said the aged teacher, eyelids weighing so heavily that they appeared closed behind his eyeglasses. "Although Angel Syndrome can strike at any time and anywhere without prediction, the Ghosts that arise in their wake tend to become more prominent as an area approaches the new moon. The exact reason for this correlation is still a subject for much debate, but the Ministry of Cognitive and Spiritual Affairs officially recommends that all individuals stay away from graveyards, family shrines, or places that have experienced Angel Syndrome incidents whenever there is a new moon."

In all honesty, this particular class of Nebukawa-sensei's was rather boring, if only because it basically consisted of public safety lectures dealing with Second Impact and all that traced their origins to it. _Every _school had such a class, per mandate from the Ministry of Education. Alas, Nebukawa-sensei's delivery was...lacking.

"However, new moons are not the only such events that correlate with increased phenomena." The elderly teacher - more so than Fuyutsuki-sensei - looked around the classroom. "Aida-kun, when was the **Lusaka Tragedy?**"

"June 21, 2001!"

"Good. Ikari-kun, what _was_ the Lusaka Tragedy?"

Shinji slowly straightened up in his chair...

(November, 2012. He watched the television with rapt eyes; live footage from the Australian city of Cairns showed an entire population center descending into chaos. From afar, the camera revealed various specters emerging from nowhere, right as the total solar eclipse covered the city. "What a waste," murmured his sensei, watching with a weary expression.)

...and answered, "it was the first total solar eclipse after Second Impact. Ghosts emerged wherever Angel Syndrome had previously struck along the path of totality. Lusaka was the largest city to be affected on that day."

"Acceptable. Ayanami-kun, what was the casualty total of the Lusaka Tragedy?"

"Estimates vary, as statistics are considered unreliable in the year following Second Impact due to the magnitude of global upheaval. However, the entire capital city of Zambia was depopulated before that day was over; most experts provide an upper bound of seven hundred thousand casualties."

"Accurate. That is why, in this day and age, the United Nations tracks eclipses with such severity; total solar eclipses especially so, given their demonstrated effects. As such, evacuations from the path of totality are mandated a week in advance by the national government, for the good of the general welfare and safety of the public. Lapses in this discipline have severe consequences, as most recently seen during the total solar eclipse of 2012. Due to the ongoing Australian Civil War at that time, evacuation efforts were hampered. Suzuhara-kun, what particular Australian city was most affected by the total eclipse?"

"Er...um...Queensland?"

"That is the state. What was the _city?_" Toji's silence was telling. "Horaki-kun, what was the city?"

"Cairns, sir!"

"Correct. That is why-"

Shinji tuned out Nebukawa-sensei, thinking back to the words of a certain bizarre man. _What's so important about the upcoming new moon?_ He had looked it up, the day after that cryptic warning; paranormal activity tended to increase after sunset on days with a new moon, based on historical trends...but not during daytime itself, when the new moon was 'visible'. Had Igor meant something else? Was something else going to happen _during_ the next new moon?

There was no way of knowing, until next Tuesday arrived.

"-and remember children, make plenty of offerings to **Amaterasu**, so that she can remain strong in her war against the wretched **Tsukuyomi**."

"_Yes, sensei,_" dutifully responded the class, most of them not really meaning it. Though, given the track record of horrible events that had occurred since Second Impact in relation to the moon, Nebukawa-sensei could hardly be blamed for a little sun worship.

And so classes continued.

xxxx

Hikari Horaki had simply pointed him towards a mop bucket, once classes had ended for the day. 'Punishment for filthy words', she had said; apparently, rumors of the morning's...incident..._had_ reached her.

Fortunately, some other guy had had the bright idea to make another beaver joke within earshot, and the Class Representative had proceeded to...well, Shinji was glad he'd been able to focus on mopping, if only because it let him ignore the massacre taking place. By the time it was over, he had cleaned most of class 2-A's floor. "Excuse me," he said to the unlucky guy in question, slumped in the corner with skin as white as a sheet; he bonelessly slithered out of the classroom, allowing Shinji to mop up the final spot. "And...done."

"Very good," complimented Horaki, sounding rather chipper for someone who had just dressed down a student with all the authority of a drill sergeant. "That was...rather quick."

"...it's just mopping?"

She nodded with approval. "Well, _some_ students react to chores like they're the end of the world." She glanced over at Aida - who _was_ cleaning the windows dutifully - before adding, "well, I suppose it can't be helped...how are you adjusting to Hakone Academy?"

"...fine, I guess?"

"Getting along with your roommates?"

"...I guess so. Kind of." At her inquisitive stare, he relented and said, "it's...a work in progress."

"That's putting it mildly!" cracked Aida from afar.

"...well, if your roommates are giving you trouble, you can always tell me. I can get the teachers involved-"

"Oh no, it's not like that!" Had he really given off that kind of impression?! "Aida-san and I...have reached an understanding. Nagisa's...nice, I guess?" Which, in all fairness, he _was_, but...there was something off-putting about him. "And Suzuhara...well...I don't think he likes me that much."

The Class Rep bore a look of understanding, solemn and knowing. "I see...I wonder..." She was about to say something, but caught herself at the last minute. "It's not my place to say. I'd just focus on yourself, for now...he may look and act tough, but he's a softy once you get to know him."

_Toji Suzuhara? A softy?  
_  
His thoughts must have shown, because Horaki giggled at his expression. "You can only rein in a troublemaker for so long before you get to know them. He and Tomochika were thick as thieves, and..." she trailed off. "...is your phone vibrating?"

_...it is?_ Darn it, he needed to be more focused; what if Katsuragi was calling him? He didn't need to endure another disciplinary event again! He hurriedly pulled it out, opening up his messages.

**JT: A great deal awaits!  
**  
"...who's this?" The text had a link in it. Impulsively, he pressed it-

Horaki reached out. "Wait, don't click-!"

The message switched out, opening another tab. Without warning, a little jingle began to play.

"**_Anata no, terefon ni, Jika-netto Tanaka~! __Mi-n-na no, yoku no tomo!_**"

_...eh?!_ Text continued to scroll by, accompanied by emojis of a middle-aged man with a rather broad nose.

**JT: Hello, my fellow man! You're one of the lucky few!  
JT: Lucky how? Why, you've been chosen by _Tanaka's Portable Commodities!_  
JT: The fantastic wares of Tanaka, available at the touch of a button!  
JT: Unbeatable in quality, unbeatable in price, and unbeatable in convenience!  
JT: What more could you want? I'm glad you asked!  
**  
"...what am I looking at?"

Horaki gave him a weary expression. "Don't you know better than to click unusual links from strangers?"

"...no?"

"..."

"...in all fairness, I've had this phone for less than a week."

"...Aida, I fear for Ikari-san's welfare. Make sure to teach him proper phone etiquette!"

"Yes'm," grumbled the bespectacled boy, apparently deciding that laziness was the better part of valor. It seemed that the jingle had caught his attention as well. "So, you got the Jay-Tee message too, eh?"

Shinji blinked. "Jay-Tee?"

"Most students with phones end up getting a message like that before long. It's basically a mass advertisement for some online store...so most people treat it like junk mail, or spam." Kensuke crossed his arms, face scrunching together in a manner evoking thought. "Although...I _will_ admit to getting a pretty good soldering iron kit once."

"...really, Aida-san?" Horaki seemed so disappointed.

"Hey, it was on sale!" A beat. "Also, I had fried my last iron, and needed a new one."

She promptly ignored him. "I'd just ignore it, Ikari-san. I wouldn't trust such a shady character, anyway."

_...well, that certainly seems reasonable_. Also, Shinji wasn't in the mood to buy anything but food, anyway. "I'm going to go get dinner." He promptly exited the online store and pocketed his phone, heading out of class 2-A.

"Have a good evening, Ikari-san!"

"See ya back at the dorm, Ikari!"

xxxx

/New Mikasa, Outskirts of Hakone Academy/

Shinji had opted to try for a place outside of Hakone Academy, in the cluster of shops and restaurants that obviously derived a lot of business from the students on campus. The smell of fresh yakisoba had brought him to _New Mikasa_, which he was currently digging into with gusto. The heavy rain from earlier that afternoon had trickled into a mere pitter-patter, still providing a soothing ambience amidst the evening air. It contributed to a relatively cool evening for June, something that he appreciated.

Sitting at the elongated bar top, he slowly and methodically chewed his noodles, while mentally reviewing his overall circumstances. The means by which he paid for his meal had only cemented that reality: he had shown his student ID badge, allowing the restaurant to run a debit from an existing student account. However, unlike other students - who funded their accounts via parents, special school credits, or old-fashioned wages that they had earned - he had been notified immediately by phone as to the source of yen.

**NERV: A ¥700 DEBIT HAS BEEN POSTED TO YOUR ACCOUNT. REMAINING BALANCE - ¥98,200.  
**  
It was a sobering reminder, that his presence at Hakone Academy - his presence within Tokyo-3 _in general_ \- revolved around NERV. The contract he had signed testified to that much. _NERV...how long until they demand more?_ Misato Katsuragi had endeavored to at least make his landing a soft one, so to speak...but even she would expect results before long. As of tomorrow, it would be one whole week since he had arrived in this city...and he couldn't fathom his father's organization maintaining their patience for long.

Would he be sent against an Acolyte? Would he be tasked with facing a Ghost? Would he undergo mindless tests? Would he have to work with _Ayanami?_

He had no way of knowing.

xxxx

_The Beast growled, issuing a challenge._

_"**Knowledge of the future is something denied to you.**"_

_Another voice - similar to his own - echoed that statement._

_"**Yet you stepped forward nonetheless.**"_

_They both spoke as one._

_"**Will you back away, before the first true hurdle?**"_

xxxx

Shinji kept on eating, allowing the settling food to serve as a symbol of his refusal to run away: it sat within his stomach, weighing him down, sating his anxiety. _I guess I'll find out when it happens...  
_  
Another plate was stacked next to him. Glancing to his side, he watch an upperclassman - a high school student from the Academy - methodically eat at his yakisoba. That wouldn't be noteworthy, save for two things: first, that it was his _seventh plate_, and second, he still appeared as thin as a rail. Bangs of dark blue hair hung over his face, hiding his eyes from view; of particular note were the thick headphones covering his ears. His eyes - a rather cool shade of blue - were now looking at him, because _oh crap he had been staring like an utter fool!_ "Er. Um...sorry for staring."

The high schooler noncommittally grunted, continuing to eat at his yakisoba. While still looking straight at him.

_...well, this is awkward_, mused Shinji, as he finished the rest of his own plate. "Well...have a good evening, senpai." He politely bowed in his direction - no form of apology was too great for an imagined offense, no matter how slight - and promptly left. Exiting the restaurant, he briefly glanced through the window; the older student had returned to his food, working on his _eighth_ plate of noodles. _How does he stay so thin?!  
_  
That question would plague him for the rest of the evening. If nothing else, it served to wash away the uncomfortable aura of their encounter.

xxxx

**END OF 6/12/2015**


	10. Saturday - June 13, 2015

_Sokila wasn't there, this time._

_Rather, he gazed upon a golden door, upon which was affixed a crucified effigy._

_Rather, he gazed through endless fog, at a young man removing his glasses._

_Rather, he gazed at a thief in black, one beholding a golden chalice._

_Symbols of sacrifice, tones of triumph, notes of..._

_"**These are not for you to see.**"_

_A new voice. Familiar, yet not...?_

_"**You are not yet ready.**"_

_The faint haze of blue began to brighten-_

xxxx

/Saturday: June 13, 2015/

/Room 23, 2nd Floor, Izanagi Dorms, Hakone Academy/

Shinji Ikari grumbled, rolling over in his sleep.

Uncertain dreams, unknown and unrecognized, assailed the fortress of his slumber.

He weathered through, and soon went still, once more at peace.

Dawn was still hours away.

xxxx

/Gendo Ikari's Office, NERV/

It was 5:00 AM on the dot when Rei Ayanami materialized into the cavernous office of Gendo Ikari. Many had likened its shadowy innards to a tomb.

So close, and yet so far. "You wished to speak with me?" she asked, speaking into the darkness.

"Major Katsuragi submitted a formal complaint regarding your behavior," replied Commander Ikari, hands folded together. "She seemed very disappointed."

"I am aware."

"Have a seat."

"...is that an order, sir?" She preferred to stand.

"...yes," said Gendo, after silent deliberation. She relented, and sat in the chair in front of his desk. How strange it would seem to an outsider, to see an old man and a young girl speaking to each other in the dark; stranger it would be, for the lights to be on, for both were more at home in the abyss, for vastly different reasons. "Your record will not be officially marked. I am speaking to you only as a matter of formality, to placate the Major."

"I understand."

"Good. You have been spoken to." The air of seriousness and solemn authority faded. "...tell me truthfully, _Rei_," he said, as his lips contorted into a knowing smirk, full of spite and malice, "is the facade already beginning to wear _thin?_"

Rei narrowed her eyes at the expression on the Commander's face. "That look does not become you."

"Neither does your stoicism," he replied. "It's an interesting mask. Do you find it nostalgic?"

"...despite your words, you persist as I have."

"Only so that I can see your face at the very end, when that which you've placed your hope in fails."

She briefly inhaled, collecting her thoughts, letting those churning waters still in the face of one she had once devoted herself to-

xxxx

_The Beast within wailed._

xxxx

-_no_. She would not allow herself to ponder the alternatives. That way lied madness. "You hope as much as I do, that your son will succeed."

At this, Gendo's expression cooled. "...'hope' would be a very strong word."

"Then what word _would_ be fitting?"

"To believe that he will do what must be done is to believe in a fantasy."

"...your demeanor will not change anything regarding the fate of Yui Ikari." There was a sudden change in pressure, as the man's tempestuous mind weighed on the cognitive realm; if nothing else, that aspect of him was still dangerous. Sheer spite had tempered it into a deadly blade. Still, she did not relent. "You know that I speak the truth."

"...just as you know that _I_ speak the truth, when I say that he is not the salvation you have hoped for." That pressure slowly faded.

"I do not share your cynicism." She quietly stood up, lightly bowing towards him. "Today, we shall begin training Shinji Ikari in earnest. He will be ready...if nothing else, be assured that I will make certain of that." She slowly turned, walking away.

The Commander had once last parting shot. "Does the fear keep you up at night?" A beat. "The fear that he will show his true colors? That he will prove your faith in him _wrong?_"

"...I do not feel such fear."

A bitter chuckle. "If there's one thing I never raised you to be, Rei Ayanami..._it was a **liar**_."

"...you never raised me at all," she calmly retorted. "You never raised anyone or anything. Not even yourself." She left the office, electing to walk within the boundary of the physical. Her mind inwardly roiled, and her spirit...well, it went without saying. Before she realized it, she found herself sitting on a toilet in a bathroom stall. The porcelain was cold, numbing; her hands fell upon her knees, gripping at the bare flesh.

An acceptable feeling. It helped her to subdue the torment that Gendo Ikari's words had stirred.

xxxx

_The Beast shed tears of blood._

_"**He is right, you know.**"_

_The blood threatened to consume them both, as always._

_"**We cannot be forgiven.**"_

_Her voice was drowned by Despair._

_"**We are forever damned...**"_

xxxx

_...that may be so. _Yet to fail...to turn her back on humanity...to let the current course continue...it would only solidify her sin. _I must atone._ There was a brief twinge, as her nails managed to pierce the skin on her legs. It would heal, before the Saturday classes started.

Perhaps it would be okay, to simply rest here until it was time for homeroom.

_I wish I could cry.  
_  
Crying sounded so wonderful.

xxxx

/Class 2-A, Junior High Branch, Hakone Academy/

"-and we'll be covering the various philosophical differences between Confucianism and Buddhism on Monday, so I recommend reading Chapter 4 in your textbook before the next class," advised Fuyutsuki-sensei, glancing towards the clock as it inched towards noon. "Any other questions?"

"_No, sensei,_" repeated most of the class.

"Now, for some announcements...remember, the **new moon** is set to occur this upcoming Tuesday, crossing the meridian at approximately 11:30 in the morning. Current forecasts indicate that the potential for Ghost activity will be minimal for Tokyo-3...however, the government's safety recommendations are still advised. Also, we're only a month away from **mid-term exams**, so start preparing yourselves. Lastly, the common kitchens on the second floor of the Izanami Dorms are _still_ being aired out after this morning's..._accident_...so I would advise the girls to occupy yourselves until that's all taken care of."

There was a round of general discontent from the female students, but Shinji Ikari found himself impressed more than anything. _What kind of cooking accident would do that?  
_  
At last, the clock struck noon, and the Saturday classes came to an end.

"Freedom!" exclaimed Toji Suzuhara. "Feel like I've been run ragged, recently..."

"That's cause you've been hitting the track _nonstop_," griped Kensuke Aida. The bespectacled turned towards him - for an opinion, maybe? - only to pause at the sight of a certain blunette. "...hello, Ayanami."

"You and Ikari have both been requested. We have much to do today."

"Yeah yeah, no need to rush the proverbial execution," said Aida with a grumble, slowly rising from his chair. "Catch you later Toji."

"...yeah, sure," murmured the athletic boy, looking quietly at the trio before leaving.

Shinji stood to follow, only to pause as his phone buzzed. _Huh?_ He pulled it out, looking at the messages coming in.

**HEROD: WE HAVE YET TO RECEIVE YOUR ANSWER TO OUR PRIOR INQUIRY.  
HEROD: I REQUEST A STATUS UPDATE.  
HEROD: UTENSILS OR CHOPSTICKS?  
**  
Shinji almost drew a complete blank until he realized what these messages referred to. _Really?_ He had honestly completely forgotten about the random message from an unknown figure. Not that that was surprising. Relenting, he typed back.

**SI: chopsticks  
**  
There. Short, simple and to the point.

The response was almost immediate.

**HEROD: YOU VALUE TRADITION OVER EFFICIENCY.  
HEROD: THIS IS USEFUL DATA.  
HEROD: WE WILL PROVIDE FURTHER INQUIRY SOON.  
**  
"...okay...?" Nothing ever seemed to resolve itself neatly...

"Ikari, you coming along?"

Aida's words jolted Shinji out of his interior focus. "Oh, um, I'm coming!"

xxxx

Misato Katsuragi, sitting in the driver's seat of a blue Alpine Renault, stared tersely at Rei Ayanami. "Did you speak with the Commander?"

"I did."

"Were you disciplined?"

"In a sense."

"...did he ask about your mysterious 'friend'?"

"He did not."

Katsuragi snorted, finally looking at Shinji and Kensuke. "Get in."

Needless to say, the ensuing ride over to NERV had been...awkward. The two boys sat quietly in the back, while Ayanami occupied the passenger's seat. Her silence seemed natural, while Misato's was...tense, a proverbial pressurized kettle keeping the steam in. "_What's their deal?_" whispered Aida.

"_I don't know,_" he honestly admitted. Something to do with the Commander, apparently...?

"_...who do you think would win in a fight?_"

"_What kind of question is that?!_" he barely managed to keep from shouting back.

"_I'm just asking for your opinion on their power level. I have no reference for the abilities of an Evangelion-user, and Katsuragi's apparently some kickass A.T. agent._"

"_...why is this even relevant?_"

"_Man, you're hopeless._"

How was he hopeless?!

The car pulled into the parking garage adjacent to NERV headquarters, going to a lower level than when Shinji had first been brought here. After passing through several scanners, an armored barricade opened up, letting them drive even _deeper_. She eventually parked relatively close to a set of sliding glass doors, which were guarded by men with guns. "Come on."

Ayanami dutifully walked behind her in lockstep; Aida was muttering somewhat excitedly to himself - "a super _secret_ entrance!" - while he simply looked warily at the armed guards. After passing several security cameras, they passed through another armored door.

Ritsuko Akagi waited on the other side. "Good timing. Aida, you're with me."

"..._ugh._" Aida mulishly followed her, glancing over his shoulder with an irritated glare. "For the record, being an intern with NERV _sucks!_"

"Being an intern is a rite of passage no matter _where_ you go," remarked Dr. Akagi. The duo soon disappeared around a corner, leaving Misato, Ayanami, and Shinji alone in the hallway.

The Major looked down at the stoic blunette. "You'll be in Training Room Seven. I'm heading up to Operations."

"Understood."

"Shinji-kun..." The woman looked at her with a measure of weary warmth. "...just, do your best, okay?"

"...my best?" As she walked away, he turned confusedly toward Ayanami. "What are we doing?"

The girl looked heavily at him. "Today, you will learn how to summon your Evangelion at will."

xxxx

Kensuke Aida wondered about many things.

Currently, he was wondering _how_ he had gotten himself into this mess.

(He watched as NERV pried open his makeshift portal to the Metaverse, trying to see what made it tick. He knew that protesting their work would only be ignored, so he remained silent unless they asked questions. Alas, their enthusiasm was greatly chilled once they pulled a familiar medal out of its innards.)

Oh yeah, _that_ was how.

"Pay attention to these parameters," instructed Dr. Akagi, lightly pointing at a monitor displaying several graphs and statistics. Several meters away, the MAGI loomed with an ominous hum. "If the Third Child ascends, I want to grab as much data as possible."

"Question."

"Yes?"

"Why call it _ascending?_"

She shrugged. "My mother had a thing for esoteric wordplay. How else do you explain her naming a troika of biocomputers after three Persian wise men from a Christian story?" Aida blinked, prompting her to chuckle. "Mothers can be weird, alas. Personally, I don't see anything very ascendant about manifesting an Evangelion."

"Why?"

Dr. Akagi slid another monitor over, this one detailing a video feed of a wide, sparse chamber, formed from white tiles bearing the numeral for seven. "Watch and see."

On that tiny monitor, a boy and a girl could be seen, entering the empty expanse.

xxxx

/Training Room Seven, NERV/

Shinji winced at the seeming brightness of the chamber. "Why does it have to be so bright?"

Ayanami did not answer that question. Rather, she said, "you have awoken to your Persona, correct?"

"...yes." He thought back to the eighth of June, when he had first opened up his phone. Those cryptic messages, courtesy of the girl before him. "Have I faced my Shadow in its fullness?" He then thought back to what Misato had told him, on the tenth of June. "But...Evangelion-users never faced their own Shadows before awakening a Persona...so how...?"

"There are manifold meanings in the words that people say. Empirical, literal, philosophical, metaphorical...my words to you were no different." Her stoic stare pinned him in place. "A Shadow can seem to be an entity with a will of its own, loose and free...for the minds of man are varied and strange...and yet, to be an Evangelion-user is to have a mind and a soul that cooperate willingly with each other, to a degree no one else in this world can manage. Hence, our Shadows are always with us, and in us; our deepest selves are bound tightly, by necessity."

"...but how? Why am I able to do that? Why am _I _like that?"

"That is something that I cannot help you with." A brief pause. "What were the words of your Persona? What was the idea that inspired it?"

He thought hard about it. He thought very hard. But certain things stuck out more than others, and those were what he went with. "To make a choice and live with its consequences...to take a stand."

For some reason, that elicited a tiny smile from her. "I see."

From high above, a crackling of static sounded, drawing his attention. "**Okay, check check...all right. Operations is actively monitoring,**" explained Misato, from a place unseen. "**Begin at any time.**"

Ayanami had not looked away. "It is one thing, to gaze within, and face the parts of us we may not like, or do not wish to accept...it is another to make them tangible." Blue fire sprouted from her form, spectral flames transforming her clothes into that familiar white bodysuit. "To open your heart is to let unpleasant things be known to more than just yourself." Her eyes gleamed yellow, as though she herself were a Shadow. "Do not hesitate."

Shinji gulped, right hand nervously clenching back and forth. "But...how am I supposed to-?"

"You have already done it before. You simply need to remember, and hold on tight to whatever may come."

Why was he feeling short of breath? Why was the back of his mind beginning to _hiss?_ "I...I don't..."

xxxx

_The voice that sounded like him was curious._

_"**You swore an oath, to choose for thyself.**"_

_It was knowing, and accepting._

_"**To accept whatever the results of those choices would be...no matter what.**"_

_Then, there was another: both monstrous and feminine, almost sounding like two voices overlapping each other._

_"**Do you have the strength?**"_

xxxx

Shinji winced, feeling for his head. Why was it so _hot?_ "I..."

"If you do not control it, you will be devoured...either here, or in the battles to come."

"Easy...for you...to say..." he snarled, because it felt like his head was going to _split open._ It was just like at the elevator, when he had faced _that man._

xxxx

_The Beast chuckled._

_"**Your father...NERV...this whole wretched world...**"_

_It lightly caressed his face._

_"**Even if you've forgotten...that hatred still kindles.**"  
_

xxxx

Shinji found himself glaring at Ayanami. Little did he know, that his eyes were now the same shade of yellow, even as azure flames roared around him.

"It wants to break free. But for there to be control, you must accept the pain that comes with letting it out." To punctuate her point, her own hand delved into her stomach, tearing away a raging spark of blue. Blood stained her immaculate body suit, even though no wound could be seen. For some reason, the violence of that move didn't really bother him like it should have. "Take hold, and _set it free._"

xxxx

_The Beast grinned. Its smile - her smile? - was full of teeth._

_"**Light it, and let it BURN.**"  
_

xxxx

Without hesitation, Shinji - impossibly, _unspeakably_ \- tore into his own head, to unleash the Beast within.

xxxx

Dr. Akagi looked wryly at Kensuke Aida's gobsmacked expression. "Rather brutal, isn't it."

"...are they pulling those things out of their bodies? _How_ are they not bleeding out?!"

"It's the damnedest thing: despite the apparent physicality, the injuries don't truly exist."

"...I'm watching my roommate tear his own _skull_ open."

"It's simply a residual effect of how they're peeling their A.T. Field open to manifest the Evangelion. It's an inherently violent action, to imbue the soul with the mind, given the intrinsic disparities...although, theoretically a nonviolent materialization is possible-"

"Wait, so you're saying that blood is there only because we perceive it?"

"Essentially."

"..._wicked._" Aida's glee was undeniable. Then he promptly ran over to a nearby trash can and began throwing up.

The blonde rolled her eyes.

xxxx

Within Operations, Misato Katsuragi let the words of various technicians wash over her, as they observed the live footage of Rei Ayanami and Shinji Ikari manifesting their Evangelions. The seeming gore involved with manifesting an Evangelion always unnerved, in various different ways.

Shinji's seemed especially sad, for some reason. _What goes through your head?_

xxxx

From within his office, Gendo Ikari watched the events in Training Room Seven on his computer, hands folded together in contemplation.

He watched as Shogoki began to take form.

He watched the hateful rictus form on his son's face.

He smiled, quietly indulging in bitter satisfaction. _You haven't changed at all.  
_  
xxxx

Within the gymnasium of Hakone Academy, a pale hand paused, mere inches away from hitting a punching bag.

Kaworu Nagisa looked aside, red eyes narrowing. That sensation...it was just like before...could it be...? _I mustn't assume...I must make sure.  
_  
"Uh, you okay, Nagisa?"

"Ah. My apologies," he said, speaking to his Boxing Club teammate that was holding the bag steady. "I was merely distracted. Let us continue." He continued punching the bag, bare knuckles smacking harshly against the leather.

If his blows seemed to be harder than before, no one commented on it.

xxxx

Rei Ayanami watched quietly, as the spectral flames that had consumed Shinji Ikari faded. The bodysuit was mostly blue, with black highlights and armored protrusions of bluish-white metal covering his shoulders and upper torso. This was not the uncontrolled eruption from the elevator one week ago; this was more akin to the bestial fury that had been freely chosen, on the train to Tokyo-3.

She stared at his yellow eyes, gleaming with a mad hatred. _What drives your hatred now, I wonder?_ Was it something old, something new?

Her gaze fell upon the Evangelion manifesting behind him, hunched and vibrating with tension. The purple armor with green highlights and hefty shoulder fins; the singular horn protruding from a demon's helm; those piercing eyes, glowing behind yellow lenses; despite the lithe body, it exuded a primal sense of _**power**_.

The violet Beast gazed down at her, and _growled._

_So...there is a part of you that realizes **that** much, at least._

Buried deeply, perhaps.

Shogoki attacked first, lunging forward; Zerogoki rose to meet her, grappling viciously.

Shinji actually _delved_ through them, their essences parting like ghostly fog to let him pass, and screamed madly as he threw a wild haymaker.

Rei caught the blow and - twisting with her hips - used his momentum to throw him over a dozen feet away. "I acknowledge your hatred." It was well-deserved. "But we will not leave until you can control it."

xxxx

Shinji Ikari was on fire, from the top of his head to the bottom of his soul. And that fire wanted to _destroy_.

"_**What has this world done for you?**_"

It was the voice of the Beast. He did not know if it spoke aloud, or if only he could hear it. If the former, Rei and her spectral creature did not react.

"_**What can this world do, but take?**_"

It was the same fury that had erupted from within, when the creature on the train - that _Angel_, that was the word - had compelled a man to go berserk. It was an anger that demanded he face everything, to never run, because he had to _destroy!  
_

"_**What has been taken from you, if not everything that mattered?**_"

Shogoki's mouth unleashed a wave of force, blasting Zerogoki into the wall. Then, there was a _flash_ of orange octagons, manifesting in front of the cycloptic creature, pushing the purple demon away. All the while, his hands lashed out with abandon, seeking to pummel the blue-haired _thing_ in front of him.

"_**Your peace and happiness mean nothing to these people.**_"

She dodged with ease, stepping away from each wild strike. A backhand was ducked, and she punished him with a brutal punch to the gut. Somehow, it didn't bother him.

"_**Your existence means nothing to these people.**_"

With furious abandon, he brought his head down - _CRACK!_ \- into her own, forcing her to stumble back. His right hand clenched into a fist, which he brought straight into the middle of that pale, red-eyed face. All the while, Shogoki finally tore through the spiritual shields of Zerogoki, bringing a knee into the ghostly titan's face.

"_**You are but a means to an end, in their eyes...**_"

Zerogoki huffed and snarled, her single eye unleashing a torrent of red energy. Shogoki _roared_, forcefully splitting the beam into streams that smashed into the walls around them, cracking tiles and causing the lights to flicker.

"_**...so why not be the means to THEIR end?**_"

A gut-wrenching howl - full of so many things, they it would take an eternity for him to describe them all! - slipped past Shinji's lips, as he rushed forward to strike again. Rei Ayanami dug her heels in, staring at him with stoic intensity-

xxxx

_Another place. Another time. Somewhere...important._

_"KILL ME!"_

_Such was the demand given to him._

_His answer was a mere whisper._

_"No..."_

xxxx

-and he blinked-

xxxx

_Sokila hid behind the velvet curtains._

_"Why..."_

_Her yellow eyes were wide with fear._

_"Why do you look like that...?"_

xxxx

-and he hesitated.

_**SMACK!**_

His entire skeleton rattled from the force of Ayanami's palm smashing into his cheek. He instinctively twisted with the blow, lest his head go flying off; even so, he nearly stumbled, and fell. Yet, his feet held sure, and he did not fall.

In the background, the struggle between Shogoki and Zerogoki went quiet. The orange titan stood quietly, while the violet monster panted heavily. Both were waiting for their original selves to make a move.

Rei Ayanami's stare was cool; she was waiting for _him_ to make a move.

_Why me?_ It all came down to that question, in the end. Why had all of this happened to him?

xxxx

_His other self spoke with understanding._

"_**You may not know. You may not understand. Not for a very long time. And that's something you accepted.**_"

_His other self stood tall._

_"**For otherwise, what choice did you have but to run away?**"_

_And then, the Beast loomed large._

_"**I am that which you fall upon when you have nothing left...**"_

_She sneered, bestial and savage; ready to go at a moment's notice._

_"**...after all...**"_

_Both figures began to fade away, now speaking in unison._

_"**...I am thou...and thou art I...**"_

xxxx

"...ow." Really, he had nothing better to say, because _OWW.  
_  
"You have come to your senses?" inquired Ayanami, yellow eyes gleaming.

"...maybe." It wasn't inaccurate to say that he had burned himself out. Yet, he suspected that the source of that strange and otherworldly fury still remained. And that scared him. "I...I'm..."

"You do not have to apologize. I have faced what you face now."

"...can I at least say sorry for giving you a bloody nose?"

"If you wish," she said, uncaring of the trickle of red coming out of her nostrils. "It will be healed by evening."

"That's...good." And also _very _convenient.

She gestured with her hand; in a flash, Zerogoki manifested right behind her.

Blinking, Shinji looked over at Shogoki; the spectral creature slowly walked over, standing behind him. "...how...did you do the teleport thing?"

"A mere function of will and intent. You will be capable of the same before long." She inhaled deeply, and then exhaled; a veritable mountain of stress seemed to fall off of her shoulders. "Now...we may truly begin your training."

xxxx

Dr. Akagi sighed as she glanced at readouts coming from the MAGI. "Well, that could have gone worse. A fairly quick turnaround...not that we have much in the way of a sufficient sample size." Her gaze focused on Aida, who was still watching the video footage with rapt eyes. "Come on Aida, we have data to analyze."

"...Evangelions have, like, force fields and _lasers?_"

"...in layman's terms, yes." She didn't feel like getting into the overall intricacies of the A.T. Field manipulations involved to produce those 'effects'.

"...my roommate can shoot _lasers with his soul._ That's awesome!"

Dr. Akagi groaned. _Why does he have to be such a teenager?_ Rhetorical thought, obviously. "If he ever has to _deploy_ an Evangelion in battle, the situation would be decidedly 'not' awesome."

Aida's eyes stared at the general state of Training Room Seven, and dumbly nodded. "Point taken."

xxxx

Major Katsuragi nearly sagged into her chair, relieved that the battle had concluded with relatively little in the way of collateral damage. So to speak. "Put in a requisition order for Section 3 to repair Training Room Seven after they're done," she said aloud, not really caring who heard her, because it was going to get logged anyway. "How much power was Shinji putting out?"

"Still processing, ma'am."

The techie's answer was expected, but Misato wanted an actual answer _now._ Speaking of actual answers, she apparently needed to schedule a round of psychiatric evaluations for the Third Child earlier than expected...because the expressions on his _face_...

(When she asked the Second Child about what it was like manifesting her Evangelion for the first time, the redhead actually paused to gather her thoughts. Finally, the young preteen answered, "I felt an overwhelming desire to protect something...important. I know, sounds weird coming from me, right?" The blue-eyed girl huffed, lips contorting into an irritated pout. "Still trying to figure out what that 'something' is.")

(When she asked the First Child about what it was like manifesting her Evangelion for the first time, the blunette answered immediately. "I would rather not say." When she pressed further, the young girl added, "it has nothing to do with you, Misato Katsuragi. My answer tends to depress those who ask.")

...they hinted at his Evangelion sourced to something altogether darker and more primal. _What the hell kind of life have you lived for a fourteen-year-old to have that kind of anger?  
_  
xxxx

"An impressive slap," mused Commander Ikari, watching as the violent 'spar' cooled down into relatively unimpressive calisthenics.

He wondered if that slap reminded the boy of anything.

He wondered if Rei hadn't loosed some of her _own_ bitter feelings in that strike.

He wondered how deeply that anger of Shinji's went_._

_I wonder what seed sprouted that rage?_

he pondered, trying not to enjoy that realization. _I wonder what it is that drives you, deep down?  
_  
He couldn't wait to find out, if only so he could rub it into the boy's face.

Shinji Ikari deserved nothing less.

xxxx

Shinji Ikari slowly let his thoughts settle as he willed his Evangelion to follow the slow, measured movements of Ayanami's; it was rather bizarre, seeing Shogoki clumsily trying to imitate the stretches and motions of Zerogoki. 'Clumsily' being the key word.

How was this even working, anyway? How was his..._mind-empowered_ soul...able to do this?

It was a decent question, so he asked it.

"It is one of the mysteries of Evangelion-users," she admitted. "NERV has not been able to ascertain a rational explanation as to why we can do what do. There are those who can wield the mind, as you have seen in the cognitive world; there are relatively fewer, who can wield their own souls, and manipulate their own A.T. Fields...but we are able to manipulate both, in a manner that no one else can."

"But _why?_"

"If they knew, they would tell us."

That was a very unsatisfactory explanation. "Okay then...what about the change in our uniforms?" He gestured at the strange bodysuits that both he and Ayanami were clad in. "And...why do our 'Evangelions' look the way they do?" Which brought to mind _another_ question. "And...why the names? Zerogoki? Shogoki?" It was a weird similarity.

"...if they knew, they would tell us."

Shinji tried not to deflate. He failed.

"You are disappointed."

"I...well..." He a ran a hand through his hair, briefly flinching at the twin...hair clip thingies...resting atop his head. Why did _they_ manifest? "...I just wish I knew more about _why._"

"The lack of knowledge has not stopped you thus far."

"...I guess." He felt like that should bother him more. "But is it wrong to want to know more...?"

"...no. It is not. If you persevere, you may be able to come to a greater understanding."

"...would...you help me?" Because honestly, it seemed like Rei Ayanami knew a _lot_ more about this whole life than he did. Even if she did seem kind of scary at times. "I mean...you don't _have_ to-"

"No. That would be..." The blunette looked at him with those enigmatic eyes, and _why_ did he have the strangest impression that she wanted to smile? "...agreeable."

xxxx

And all the while, on a subconscious level, in words he had no way of knowing...a familiar voice spoke, within the depths of his being:

_I am **thou**, thou art I...  
Thou hast acquired a **new** bond._

_It shall **lead** thou to the truth  
that **parts** the seas of depravity._

_Take hold of the **Priestess** Arcana,  
and let it** guide** you  
to a new Promised Land..._

xxxx

"...okay." He briefly bowed. "Thank you."

"...you can show your gratitude by continuing with your training. Shogoki has been standing still for the past three minutes."

Shinji twitched. "Grk!" And made...whatever _that_ noise was.

And so their training continued.

xxxx

/Outskirts of Hakone Academy/

The Alpine Renault pulled to a stop by a curb; the grounds of Hakone Academy loomed in the background, stark against the twilight. "We'll be going over the data for the next couple of days, but be prepared for any alerts in the meantime." Misato glanced at the two Evangelion-users. "Also, I _shouldn't_ have to say this...but please don't summon your Evangelions outside of NERV unless absolutely necessary."

"Understood."

"...okay."

She then looked at Kensuke Aida, who was looking somewhat flummoxed. 'Bewildered' was an actual mood that he possessed, heightened to a perpetual emotional state. "Hate to break it you, but Ritsuko's probably gonna have you come in tomorrow to work with her on the analysis."

"Bleh."

Aida's succinct response elicited a chuckle from Misato. "All right you kids, get on out." As they did so, she called once more. "Hey, Shinji-kun."

"Yes?" he looked back over his shoulder, into Katsuragi's concerned eyes.

"...just...take care of yourself, okay?" she requested, somewhat tentatively.

"...okay?" he responded, somewhat confused by the sudden concern.

The woman smiled, apparently amused by his response. "Enjoy the rest of your weekend."

Shinji watched quietly as she drove off, her vehicle soon blending in with the evening traffic. "...huh." _What was that about?_ Was it something related to what she had seen at NERV, today? _I wonder how I looked...come to think of it._ "Aida-san."

"Yeah?"

"How did I look today, when summoning Shogoki?"

"You were equal parts awesome and scary," he instantly replied.

"...ah." His mind instantly harped on the 'scary' part. "Ayanami-san...was I scary?"

"I do not think you were scary."

Kensuke eyed Ayanami oddly. "_Your_ vantage point is obviously biased."

"I cannot be held accountable for your insufficient courage."

The girl's retort earned a jaw-drop from the bespectacled boy. "Oh, that was _uncalled_ for..."

Shinji slowly trailed behind the two (classmates, definitely; acquaintances, sure; he didn't quite know if the title of 'friend' was warranted yet...), wondering about the events of that day. _Evangelion...Persona...I am thou, and thou art I...but...who am I, exactly?_ How did he appear to others?

Who was 'Shinji Ikari', in the eyes of everyone else?

xxxx

Later that evening.

Within Room 23 of the Izanagi Dorm's second floor, four boys slept quietly, more or less. Shinji was listening to classical music on his SDAT player (and this time, he had remembered to _switch_ out the Velvet Room tape), letting the sounds drown out the rest of the world...which included Toji, because his snores were _loud_. Kaworu slept as the dead, unmoving and still, save for the slight inhale and exhale of breath. Kensuke looked and _sounded_ the most normal of them all, slightly sprawled out on his top bunk.

Then, there was a quiet shift.

Atop Aida's mattress, but beneath the boy himself, a white void slowly began to manifest, a sliding door opening up to another world. The boy still slumbered as he slowly tumbled in; moments later, the void closed silently, as though it had never been.

Kaworu soundlessly sat up, red eyes darting around with caution. He focused upon the empty bunk bed of Kensuke Aida, and his expression narrowed with suspicion. _Hmm.  
_  
Slowly, he laid back down, and returned to sleep.

And so the night rolled on, three boys sleeping soundly.

xxxx

**END OF 6/13/2015**

xxxx

/brief note

/this story is updated regularly on SpaceBattles' Creative Writing forum

/and Sufficient Velocity's User Fiction forum

/pop in for reader commentary and random asides!


	11. Sunday - June 14, 2015

**Kensuke's Log: September 31, 2012**

**So. This is a first for me, this whole journal thing.**

**No way I tell Suzuhara, because he'd just call it a diary.**

**But really, it's the only thing I can do to get my thoughts in order. Writing it out is good, right?**

***a chunk of text on the journal page features eraser marks and heavy pencil scratches, rendering it illegible***

**Okay, I've tried five times to get my thoughts down, and haven't been able to do it. I'm just going to be blunt.**

**September 16 was a new moon. Mom was on duty like normal, because new moons are always busy days for the A.T. Task Force.**

**She vanished during an incident of Angel Syndrome that hit *several sections are erased and scratched out* Nagano. They tracked her to outside the ruins of Tokyo-1, where other agents found her body. Nobody knows what happened.**

**Dad's been real quiet since the funeral.**

**I bet they actually know, though. Even if they don't, I'll discover it for myself.**

**I'll find out.**

***various doodles of Archetypes and an older woman are seen***

xxxx

/Sunday: June 14, 2015/

Kensuke Aida slowly sat up. _This is not my bed._ All around were bare trees, splattered with ash and paint of various colors. _This is not my dorm._ The sky bore a familiar red and black pattern. _This is not the real world._ "Okay...you somehow ended up in the Metaverse." He calmly - and so, _so_ patiently - got to his feet, trying to gain his bearings. "Just...don't...panic." Trying to gain his bearings, he defaulted to going up the nearby incline, to at least try and get his bearings.

xxxx

All the while, standing atop the blasted tip of a dead oak, a certain penguin watched in silence. _This is close enough for now._ It was time to gather the other players.

xxxx

/Room 23, 2nd Floor, Izanagi Dorm, Hakone Academy/

Shinji Ikari slowly opened his eyes, watching Suzuhara slowly put on his shoes. "...good morning..." he sleepily slurred.

"Mornin'."

He slowly sat up - feeling some residual weariness from yesterday - and looked around. He and Suzuhara were the only ones here. "Where's Aida-san and Nagisa-san?"

"Dunno. They were both gone when I woke up."

"Oh." He stretched one arm. Then another. That's when he saw the taller boy head for the door. "Um...are you...going somewhere?"

"Yup."

"...where?"

Suzuhara glanced over his shoulder, eyes narrowed with suspicion. "Why you askin'?"

"...no reason," he blurted.

The boy huffed, rolling his eyes. "Be back later. Try not to mess up our room with any of your...NERV stuff." And with that, he was gone.

_...it's not like I ASKED the NERV stuff to happen here,_ he mused, before pondering what to do for the day. There was homework, but there were probably some other things to do around the campus...but first came breakfast.

Then he looked at his phone and decided that messages came first, _then_ breakfast.

**HEROD: WE HAVE ANOTHER QUERY FOR YOU.  
HEROD: WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING PARTICULAR TEXTS DO YOU MOST CLOSELY IDENTIFY WITH?  
HEROD: "I WILL BURN MY DREAD." ; "WE'RE ALL TRAPPED IN A MAZE OF RELATIONSHIPS." ; "IF YOU HOLD ON, LIFE WON'T CHANGE."  
HEROD: THERE IS NO RIGHT OR WRONG ANSWER.  
HEROD: PLEASE RESPOND WITHIN 48 HOURS.  
**  
Shinji blinked.

**SI: who is this  
**  
The response was so quick that he nearly dropped his phone out of shock.

**HEROD: THAT IS NOT ONE OF THE POSSIBLE CHOICES.  
**  
Shinji sighed, turning his attention to another set of messages received during the night. These were...somewhat more concerning.

**?: Hope you wake up soon, kid.  
?: Your friend, the one with the glasses?  
?: He somehow made it over to the other side.  
?: You might want to get over there, give him a hand.  
?: Something might happen, you know.  
**  
_...what._ That was decidedly concerning. _Aida-san's in the Metaverse? How?_ His thoughts whirled around himself, so much so that he was already dressed - in a simple pair of jeans and a rose-colored shirt - and on his way for the door before even thinking _hey, I should probably call Misato-san and tell her about this_ and when he opened the door REI AYANAMI WAS STANDING RIGHT THERE. "Gah!" he yelped.

"Ah, you're awake. Come with me."

"Um, about that, I'm sort of busy-"

"We are going to rescue Aida-san."

"...you _know?_"

"Yes."

"How?"

Ayanami glanced over his shoulder. "No one else is here. This is convenient."

"What's convenient-?" His words were cut off by the blunette shoving him back into the room. She followed and closed the door behind them, because _why not cause more rumors for the other students?!_ "Uh, Ayanami-san-?!"

"Be patient." Her tone brooked no disagreement or argument. "I am going to teach you how to enter the cognitive world at will."

xxxx

/The Metaverse/

Kensuke Aida comforted himself by the fact there weren't many Archetypes around...or any, for that matter.

Said fact promptly _worried_ him, since that implied this place's corresponding location in reality had very little in the way of human traffic. "Okay...just have to find some kind of landmark..." He couldn't be that far from Tokyo-3, surely! _If this is some sort of strange training scenario concocted by Dr. Akagi, I'm going to be...upset._ Darn it, why he couldn't he think of any better words?! _I blame the lack of breakfast._ Still, at least the 'air' of the cognitive world was oddly refreshing; maybe it was because he was inherently excited by anything having to do with the Metaverse, that automatically made his perception of the mental 'atmosphere' to be more pleasant _and focus Kensuke!_ "Have to find an A.T. agent. Or one of those drones."

Clearing the hilltop, he couldn't help but grin at the sight of a road, stark amidst the sepia tones. Slowly descending past the blasted trees, Kensuke's bare feet switched from cold soil to mild asphalt; however, the road bore some unpleasant 'accessories'. Like various vehicles sticking halfway out of the blacktop, as if they had sunk into the asphalt; humanoid outlines, as if untold numbers of people had perished and then etched around by a police forensics team; road signs splattered with red paint, detailing such delightful statements like '**NO DEATH FOR YOU**' and '**SO MUCH OUCH**' and '**TRAFFIC STILL SUCKS**'.

Okay, that last one kind of got a chuckle out of him. However, they didn't really tell him which way to go. "Well...guess I'll keep on going until I find something."

As it turned out, Kensuke Aida didn't have to walk too long. Twenty minutes, at most.

He cleared the hills of blasted trees, finally reaching a spot that unveiled the horizon. It made him pause; what appeared in the distance to be a massive metropolis was truly a gathering of building-sized gravestones, some crumbling, others tilting and on the verge of falling. However, of greatest note...

(He asked about the strange photo on the wall in his mother's office. She explained with a sad smile, "It used to be our capital. That's what it currently looks like in the Metaverse...it's a reminder, about the danger of what we face.")

...was the sphere of void that dominated the dead city's skyline, unimaginably massive. All colors seemed to fade into gray around its event horizon. "...that's Tokyo-1..." he murmured, jaw slack with disbelief. _How did I end up so far from Tokyo-3?!_ His immediate impulse was to turn right back around...however, now that he was thinking about it...it _would_ be nearby, wouldn't it? _Maybe...I wonder...  
_  
Curiosity piqued, Kensuke Aida kept on walking, now with a firm location in mind.

xxxx

And all the while, Pen-Pen continued to follow him.

xxxx

/Room 23, 2nd Floor, Izanagi Dorm, Hakone Academy/

Shinji Ikari tried not to think too hard about the fact that a girl was standing in his dorm room...well, not quite _his_ dorm room, it was more like his and three other guys', but still-_I should stop thinking._ No such luck. _Still thinking._ Agh.

Rei was rather quiet, absorbing her surroundings with a strange solemnity. "A strange tinge...no matter." She turned around, facing him head on. "Stand in front of me."

Shinji dutifully did so. "Um...so, now what-"

"Do you believe that the MAGI are our only means of accessing the cognitive world?"

"...um, no?" he responded, thinking back not only to his little 'TV jaunt' with Aida-san, but also to Goro Akechi's words. "There are...gaps. Loopholes." That's how the Chief Warden had described it.

"An accurate descriptor. The means vary, for those who do not have access to the MAGI network. Psychics, bearing a close bond to their own thoughts and those of others; sages of diverse beliefs, who can manipulate their A.T. Field; empaths, whose connection to the feelings of others can open that unconscious door; and more, I'm sure." She gestured toward herself, resting a hand over her heart. "We Evangelion-users are similar."

"How?"

"We are intrinsically capable of manipulating our minds and souls. Thus, with practice, we can straddle the edges of physical, metaphysical, and cognitive...and cross them, as needed."

"..._how?_"

Rei answered his question by placing her other hand over his heart.

"...uh..." he choked.

"Be patient. Calm yourself...and think deeply." The surrounding ambience seemed to deaden. "Ponder the patterns that your thoughts carve. Sense the boundaries of your soul, that define you in relation to others."

Wait, was her voice starting to echo?

"To cross that threshold, you must know who you are...and you must know what you are not."

"I don't-" he impulsively started, only to stop.

xxxx

_His Other smiled._

_"__**Step by step; that's all you can ask of yourself.**__"_

_The Beast grinned._

_"__**To save what you lost, you must hold nothing back.**__"_

_They both gazed at a new figure, glowing white, holding her hands out. As one, the two spoke._

_"__**Fear not, if you wish to reach the end...**__"_

xxxx

He controlled his speech, tamping down on his own protests. "...all right then." _Who am I? _Shinji Ikari. _Who is Shinji Ikari?_ A student. An Evangelion-user. The one whose Persona was called Hamlet. The son of Gendo Ikari and Yui Ikari, no matter how much the former made him feel...well, many unpleasant things. The roommate to Kensuke Aida and Toji Suzuhara and Kaworu Nagisa. _That's not enough, though._ The one who had bonds - for good or ill - with Misato Katsuragi, Gendo Ikari, Ritsuko Akagi, Kōzō Fuyutsuki, Kensuke Aida, Goro Akechi, Hikari Horaki...

xxxx

_The silver-haired girl smiled._

xxxx

...and little Sokila. And yet...

xxxx

_"Don't you want to come back?" he asked._

_He received no answer._

xxxx

...there was still more to claim, and more to learn. He acknowledged that incompleteness, deep down...and thus did he have subconscious certitude.

"Very good," whispered Rei Ayanami. "The mind can be muddled and unclear...and the soul can rage against all outsiders...yet, you can acknowledge the truth that your heart pursues, at the expense of everything else..."

Shinji did not respond, as he was too focused on the palpable transformations occurring around him. The familiar grayscale brought to mind the train...but before he could ponder it further, Ayanami guided them yet farther, as a subtle whisper from within his head took prominence. Grayscale faded, taking on sepia tones, and familiar flickers of black smoke and angular lines. Without a doubt, they were in the Metaverse. "Huh..."

The girl stepped back, looking somewhat drained. "You will come to understand how to do it yourself, with enough practice."

Shinji looked around the cognitive double of his dorm room, taking note of its various facets. Kensuke Aida's bunk and desk were a proverbial engineer's lab in miniature, with certain action figures depicting A.T. agents sprawled throughout. Toji Suzuhara's bunk and desk were dotted by statues of a buff and manly version of the jock, standing protectively in front of various people; interspersed between these statues were dumbbells, track shoes walking in place _by themselves_, and chains of all sorts weighing down on the statues of Suzuhara. Kaworu Nagisa's bunk and desk, meanwhile, were absolutely pristine and blank, bearing no perceptible difference relative to reality. His own bunk and desk, meanwhile seemed to be halfway-merged with the cognition of _someone else_; he saw some musical instruments and cooking utensils partly melded with figurines of an older woman, figurines that appeared to be slowly dissipating into smoke; of particular interest where various crayon drawings affixed to the wall above his desk, depicting people that he...couldn't quite identify. All the while, various icons and facets of other people - other students - floated about like dust.

"Hmm." Rei Ayanami looked about. "Your thoughts appear to be slowly overriding those of the prior occupant. Mere fragments are all that remain of this dorm room's previous tenants."

"...huh..." So the tiny statues of the older woman - possessing shoulder-length hair, a long-sleeved shirt, and a long skirt that went down to the calves - were related to the thoughts of...Tomochika, was it? "...so...now what?"

Rei Ayanami briefly brushed the hem of her school uniform, looking out the window at the black and red sky. "...I believe I know where Aida is." She sighed, sounding remarkably fatigued. "One of the benefits that you will come to understand about trespassing the barriers of reality...is the ability to traverse vast distances in a mere instant. It is how the Second Child and I are able to counter Angel Syndrome, no matter where it may emerge..." She trailed off, as if wanting to say something else. "...I suppose you will understand, when you face them again."

"...okay."

"Now..." Rei Ayanami rested her hands upon her stomach. She seamlessly pulled out a spark of blue fire. "Endure thy labor..." She crushed the orb, and it burst into tongues of blue fire. "..._**Lilith.**_"

Shinji stepped back as the fiery wisps took on a life of their own. Rei Ayanami's body flickered with azure flames, taking on the form of her familiar white body suit from Evangelion training...except it was ruined, torn in various places, marked with blood stains; nine chains of iron seemed to sprout from within her body, each one wrapping around her form and ending in a white cross. Meanwhile, the wisps fused into a larger humanoid, one that was naked-

He averted his eyes.

"If it helps, you can think of my Persona as a reflection of my thoughts, and not someone who is actually nude."

"It _really_ doesn't."

"If we are to fight as comrades, you will have to become used to it."

"...urgh..." He hated this. This was so inappropriate! He forced himself to look at 'Lilith': she appeared to be a grown woman with pure white skin, fairy-like wings of lavender emerging from behind: one pair from her calves, and four pairs each emerging from her shoulder blades. Frazzled hair as white as snow - bearing a similar haircut to Ayanami's - fell over a purple mask, hiding all facial features except two yellow eyes, wide and solemn. To round off her Persona's features, a massive red cross floated behind her, large enough that Lilith could be affixed upon it comfortably...so to speak. If he focused on the wings, the mask, and the cross, it allowed him to ignore the fact that Lilith had not a stitch of clothing on. Kind of. Sort of. "...is there a reason that she's naked?"

"...I am more comfortable in the nude. I wear clothes as a matter of social necessity," she bluntly admitted.

"_...ah. N-N-Nice to to know_," he squeaked.

"It is something you will have to be accustomed to, if you will delve into the Metaverse on a regular basis. The thoughts of humanity are bound to manifest in ways that violate certain norms. For example, there is an Archetype called an Incubus that possesses a rather elongated p-"

"I know, I've seen it before," interrupted Shinji, his face flushing a brilliant red.

"Ah. Then you will be inured before long."

"Is that really a _good_ thing?"

Ayanami did not answer; rather, Lilith gestured at the wall, and it seemed to _bend_ open, as if a hole was stretched and pulled into existence. "We will be taking flight. Please do not struggle."

"What do you mean-" His words were cut off by Lilith wrapping her left arm around his torso, pulling him flush against her side. Very _very _close to her bosom. "..._I don't approve of this!_"

"You are not yet capable of traversing the Metaverse quickly on your own," calmly remarked Ayanami, who was held in Lilith's right arm. "Time may be of the essence."

"...can you please teach me how to travel quickly?"

"That would take too long."

Shinji groaned, slumping in Lilith's arm. That at least gave him _some_ distance from her chest, because it was essentially the inner reflection of some part of Rei Ayanami, which mean it was kinda sorta _Ayanami's_ chest he was close to-_and I'm going to stop thinking now.  
_  
Lilith merely loosed a ghostly titter, as she lightly leapt out into the open sky. As the outer wall of his dorm room's cognitive double closed back together, the Persona flapped her wings, taking off into the sky.

However, this action did not go unnoticed by one of the many Ocular Drones patrolling Tokyo-3.

xxxx

Kensuke Aida knew the location by heart.

He turned away from the road, turning back to the forest and scaling the hills and mountains. Now that he knew where he was _roughly_ in relation to Tokyo-1 - to what remained of the greater Tokyo Metropolitan Area, which had been abandoned by the government after Second Impact - he knew where to go.

(Certain A.T. agents accompanied him and his father to the site of Naomi Aida's final resting place, as part and parcel of fulfilling her last requests. They had never gone back after that, yet the sight...the scent...the atmosphere...they left an indelible impression.)

_I should have realized it_, thought the boy as he continued scaling the inclines, past blasted trees bearing random graffiti, depicting the ambient spray of human thought in pictorial form, an everlasting impression etched into the cognitive world by virtue of the mere _quantity_ of people that had lived in the area over the past decades. _My apartment and my dorm were the most likely candidates, because they're where I spend most of my time...haven't had a chance to look in my dorm yet, though._ It would be _really_ awkward if his Shadow actually turned out to be in his dorm room. _Well...at least I've got a heck of a view on the way up._ Indeed; to the east, he could see the cognitive doubles of whole cities, many of them pockmarked by strange voids that warped the area around them, albeit mere pikers compared to the great orb that dominated Tokyo-1. Meanwhile, if he glanced to the west, he could see the cognitive impression of Mount Fuji: so omnipresent in the psyche of Japan, that it appeared to be cast in eternal daylight, painted onto the horizon with a perpetual snowcap, and the red rising sun behind it...even though that didn't make sense physically speaking. _I wonder if the rising sun would appear behind it no matter what angle we looked at it from? _A reasonable possibility.

Finally, after what seemed like no time at all, he ascended Mount Hiru: the tallest peak of the Tanzawa Mountains.

Atop the snow - strangely false, flaking away and dissipating with each step, behaving more like ash...no, like dust - was a strange anomaly, in the rough shape of a kneeling person.

("We found her sitting there, facing Tokyo-1. No discernible injuries...and yet, she was gone.")

Kensuke wondered if he was the only one who could see it.

He reached for the person, touching its static boundary-

_**WHOOSH**_

-and found himself inside someplace _else_. An empty cylinder delved deep underground, lit by spotlights and blazing torches; the walls were adorned with medals and static images of various heroic figures, evoking impressions of grandeur and majesty. However, taking pride of place was an absolutely _massive_ statue - easily over five hundred feet tall, maybe more! - of his mother: clad in the uniform of the Anti-Terror Task Force, dagger held in one hand and a revolver in the other. A staircase ran along the side of the immense chamber, spiraling downward into the depths.

"This...this must be _my_ Realm, then..." Well his Shadow's Realm, but the Shadow was a part of him. That was _important_ to keep in mind. _Okay, you know the deal: find your Shadow, accept whatever deep-seated issue it represents, and then POW, instant Persona!_ A grin impulsively came to his face as he jauntily descended the stairs, each step causing a flicker of light to emerge in its wake. _This is going to be great! Now, I wonder what possible issue I could have...?_ Best to think about it now, before he found his Shadow.

All the while, masked beings - hidden in the threshold between shadow and light - watched in silence, not interfering...perhaps because they instinctively understood the doom that awaited their progenitor, at the bottom of the chamber.

Or perhaps they sensed that they would soon have company, for Kensuke Aida - deep down - truly did not believe that his entry into the Metaverse had gone unnoticed.

xxxx

Lilith set down atop the cognitive Mt. Hiru, her pale feet kicking up the ashy snow. She quietly set Shinji and Rei down, meters away from a clump of three-dimensional static. The blunette stood with surety, while he...well, tried to gather himself. "That...was...fast..."

"That was the point," remarked Rei, focusing on the cloud of foggy distortion situation upon the peak. "...it would seem that Aida's already come this way..." She looked around, sounding confused. "...then where...?"

"...what's wrong...?" He had done nothing but hang on to her Persona; why did he feel so exhausted?!

"...hmm. A concern for another time, then." Ayanami turned back towards the static. "This appears to be Kensuke Aida's Realm." She glanced over her shoulder at him. "Summon your Persona; it is probable we will need to fight."

"...Aida-san's...Realm...?" _Is it like Chiba Takehide's?_ Had Kensuke gone inside to find his Shadow? "...wait, why would he attack me? I'm his roommate."

"Shadows tend to react negatively to outsiders, regardless of how close one may be to the Shadow's origin." A pause. "Also, by my understanding, being someone's roommate may not necessarily be a good thing."

Shinji thought of Toji. "...you have a point..."

"I would advise summoning your Persona."

"Okay, okay..." Shinji huffed, feeling for the Other within, all the while looking at the distorted air with trepidation. _Aida-san...what does your Shadow look like?_ The boy had seemed fairly self-assured, if somewhat gung-ho; what kind of issue would he have with himself? Such were his thoughts as he serenely withdrew the spark from his head; fire erupted, as his self-image took precedence, and his royally-garbed Persona manifested. "...I guess we go in, then?"

"Yes." Ayanami stared intently at him.

"...is...something wrong?"

She looked down at his apron. Then back at his face. "Adorable."

"..._why?_" he muttered? His outfit wasn't _that_ outlandish, was it?

Their Personas purposefully looked at the static, ignoring them. He wasn't sure if they were ignoring them out of amusement or embarrassment. Would he even be amused at _himself_ for this? _Ugh...Personas are complicated...  
_  
"Let us enter." She took hold of two of the iron chains, adjusting their length such that the white crosses would serve as flails.

Shinji nodded, gripping his shovel tightly; they stepped forward, Personas hovering behind them-

_**WHOOSH**_

-and they set foot into a pseudo-Valhalla, dedicated to images and icons of heroes and heroines. "...this is Aida-san's Realm...?" His gaze impulsively drifted to the massive statue of a female A.T. agent. "Who...?"

"...that would be his mother, Naomi Aida." The girl inhaled the aged air of the great chamber, red eyes narrowing with suspicion. "...perhaps that is what it'll be tied to...?"

"**Intruders!**" Various humanoids suddenly began to slip out from behind the framed pictures, descending heavily upon the spiraling stairs. They appeared as caped superheroes in colorful tights, and stylized agents in sleek bodysuits of black; their only shared characteristic were the blue masks covering their faces, solidifying their ties to the Realm. "**Villainous rapscallions! We must repel them!**"

"_**Tentarafoo!**_" Hamlet's handheld skull flashed yellow; the valiant thoughtbeasts faltered only slightly, not ceasing in their charge.

However, Lilith's hand was already raised high. "_**Megido**_," she intoned.

The air cracked, and rays of violet light smashed into the front line of enemies.

"Be vigilant," commanded Ayanami, spinning two of her cross-tipped chains with such speed that they appeared to be buzzsaws.

"...er, okay." And then Shinji yelped as a flying superheroine nearly brained him with an airborne axe kick, which he barely blocked with the shaft of his shovel.

"I told you to be vigilant," reprimanded the blunette as she smashed a chain into the face of an incoming enemy.

xxxx

Kensuke Aida's head darted up. _The sounds of combat?_ Who else could be here? Was it possible...had the Anti-Terror Task Force dispatched agents to this location? _No, not yet, I'm so close!_ He double-timed it down the stairs, skipping two or three with each step. _Made it this far, can't lose now, no WAY I can lose now!_ His feet beat hard against the stony floor, slightly chilled relative to everything else; however, the statue of his mother commanded attention, as was proper. "Okay...where are you...?" What aspect would his Shadow take on? Would it be someone with an exaggerated temper? Perhaps a gung-ho military enthusiast? Or maybe someone who didn't know how to sit still. _I mean, if I'm being honest, I kind of get in over my head a lot._ But that was fine. He was already on the road to accepting that! _I've got this in the bag!_ "Come on out!"

"_You want to be a big shot, huh?_"

He whirled around, eyes darting to and fro; that voice had come from nearby! "I heard you..."

"_You want to be a hero..._"

"...yeah, that's right." That voice was _his_. "And for me to do that...I've gotta accept you. So come forth, my Shadow!"

"_...what a joke._"

There. Amidst the shadow, two yellow eyes behind glasses could be seen; Kensuke looked down..._way_ down. "...what...?"

"_Heroes are larger than life...heroes are people who matter._" A tiny Kensuke Aida - no more than six inches tall - stared plainly at him. "_...but you're way too __**small**__ to matter._"

"...but, that's not-"

"_And here you are, thinking it would be so easy to accept me...do you realize the arrogance? Of course you do._" The tiny Shadow sighed. "_Truly, the pride of a bit character is fierce._"

Kensuke was feeling much like he had when Shinji had disclosed the truth of his abilities...or lack thereof.

"_How did you think this was going to end?_"

Namely, he felt flummoxed and slightly panicked, as though the world had been pulled out from under him.

"_You read the personal accounts of those who met their Shadows, and claimed them as Personas..._"

He had expected his deep-seated issue to be something more reasonable.

"_...and their acceptance was a grueling trial; a true crucible, without exception..._"

Like...anything but this. _Anything else_, but this.

"_...and you had the gall to think it would be otherwise for you._" His Shadow - speaking so calmly about the alleged lack of self-worth - tilted his tiny head. "_Sorry to break it to you...but we're just not that special._"

"...that's not true," he bit out. His mind inwardly hissed, because he was falling into the same damn trap that had claimed a lot of Agents who hadn't been able to make the cut, he _knew_ what would happen if he kept this up, but the desire to be great, to be a hero, it had been so deeply ingrained in him for _so long_ that to deny it felt like tearing away a part of himself. "That's not _true..._"

"_Few reach the pinnacle. If you had what it took, the Task Force would have taken you on...but they haven't, because you __**don't**__ have the right stuff. Bashing your head against the proverbial wall won't change that..._"

"Shut _up._"

"_...so I've accepted my own worthlessness. Why won't you?_"

"BECAUSE I'M _NOT __**YOU!**_" howled Kensuke, angrily and fearfully rejecting this facet of himself.

Said facet's eyes began to _gleam_, as it began to grow, emitting a smoky blue aura of menace and doom. "_Indeed. You're __**not**__ me._" That aura swelled and burst outward, and Kensuke knew no more.

xxxx

The sudden burst of miasma from down below caught the attention of both Evangelion-users; Rei stared coolly as Lilith's wings eviscerated another costumed figure, whilst Shinji's shovel withdrew from the face of a masked hero. "What the...?"

"Hmm. He has succumbed to his Shadow."

"Succumbed?"

Ayanami glanced quietly at the other extensions of Kensuke's Shadow, born from a fascination with heroism and heroes. "I will take care of the rest of these; you must endeavor to reach Aida."

"How do I-?" he was cut off by the blunette unceremoniously pushing him on the backside with her foot, shoving him off the edge. "-DO _THAT?!_" His speech devolved into a wordless scream, as the ground loomed threateningly-!

A cloaked figure dashed past him, landing feet-first below. With surprising gentleness, his Persona caught him in his ethereal arms. "...that was scary..."

"**You were pushed off of a spiraling stairway. It is to be expected.**"

"...thank you, Hamlet." Well, he was really thanking himself, to be honest...did that count as being arrogant or narcissistic-?

"**Prepare thyself.**"

His Persona's words pulled him back to the present; at the base of the great statue of Naomi Aida, a masculine figure emerged, covered in tattered purple robes and rusted armor. In his left hand was a large scepter - a shepherd's crook, to be precise - that bore manifold cracks on its surface. However, most importantly of all, was the fact that this figure didn't have a head. "**I am a Shadow...the ****_true_**** self.**"

xxxx

The Ocular Drone had followed the interlopers diligently, all the way from Tokyo-3. Though the figures were a known quantity to the Anti-Terror Task Force, their means of entry had been unregistered, and thus merited observance.

All the way to the Tanzawa Mountains, it had gone. All the way to Mount Hiru.

The rainbow-colored eye quietly began to near the strange anomaly-

_SHICK.  
_  
xxxx

Within the Tokyo-3 Cognitive Protection Center, a certain television monitor went blank with fuzzy static.

Goro Akechi frowned, lip curling with suspicion. _Hmm...  
_  
xxxx

The Ocular Drone fell to the ground, pierced by a claw that had extended impossibly far. It dissolved into trace bits of shadow and spectral thoughtstuff within moments.

"_How rude,_" murmured Pen-Pen, slowly waddling towards the entrance of the Shadow's Realm. "_This is a big moment, after all...best to let the important characters have their moment._"

xxxx

Kensuke's Shadow aimed his shepherd's crook. "_**Dazzler.**_" Flickers of light rushed from the staff, nearly blinding Shinji.

"Gah!" The boy staggered, the entire room tilting and wobbling. The strength in his legs seemed to fade as he staggered-

"**Focus!**" Sword clashed with staff, as Persona battled Shadow. "**Stand strong!**"

"**To stand on your own feet...to be something special...do you desire that as well?**" Kensuke's Shadow impossibly roared, despite the lack of a head. "**Desiring things beyond your reach...is a recipe for heartbreak...!**"

Shinji tried to get the shaking within his skull to stop and _oh great_ now he was vomiting on the floor. Mind-vomiting. Was that a thing? Wait, he had actually come to the Metaverse physically, hadn't he, and _these meandering thoughts weren't helping!_ "Urgh..." Slowly, he tried to rise, trying to push past the dizziness. "H-H-Hamlet-"

The Shadow swung his crook again. "_**Pulinpa.**_"

Grimacing, Shinji gripped his shovel tightly, taking aim at the headless beast-!

SMACK.

"**Rgh!**" groaned Hamlet as the shovel smashed into his face.

"GAH!" yelped Shinji, unprepared for the brief spike of pain that emanated from within his head. _But I aimed for the Shadow-!  
_  
"**You seem more hopeless than I...**" Kensuke's Shadow stomped forward, looming large over Shinji. "**...and I am a very hopeless sort indeed!**"

xxxx

Rei Ayanami grimaced. _I may have miscalculated._ The manifold thoughtbeasts were strangely numerous, far more than she had anticipated. Even with Lilith holding strong, she should have at least made it to Ikari's side by now. _I must not tarry. _Another caped Shadow was thrashed by her cross chains, even as two more rose to take its place. _If only I could use more power-_

Her thoughts were interrupted by a purple blur, falling past her towards the base of the great statue below. "What?"

xxxx

Without warning, Kensuke's Shadow ceased his attack, leaping back. The next instant, a burly figure crashed into the ground where it had stood, cracking the surface.

Shinji blinked, blearily trying to focus. _What-?  
_  
"_**Salutations, tiny trainee!**_" Oh, it was the man-bird thing again. "_**Would you like a hand?!**_" boasted Mister P.

"**...who are you?**" murmured Kensuke's Shadow.

"_**A paragon of virtue and the hope of youngsters who don't know how to tie their own shoes!**_" The tuxedo-clad bird-man flexed; with a flicker of his hands, a pair of brass knuckles manifested over his burly fists. "_**And I believe you need to get your nonexistent head in order.**_"

"**...another big talker...**" The headless Shadow hummed, sounding strangely sorrowful. "**Talking big doesn't end well for anyone...and it won't end well for you! ****_Evil Touch!_**" The tip of the shepherd's crook glowed crimson and violet, launching a hand-shaped orb at Mister P.

The attack seemed to wash over his form, to no effect. "_**Ha! The things I fear are way beyond what you're capable of little, whelp.**_" The burly bird-man snapped his fingers. "**Amrita Drop.**"

Droplets of emerald light fell over Shinji, and the strange fog that had taken root in his mind seemed to dissipate. _Huh?_ He felt normal. Well, normal-ish. Standing tall, he looked at the bizarre man with a wary look. "How..._when_...?" Agh, why couldn't he say things?! "I mean...?!"

"_**There'll be a time to talk later. For now, we have a rapscallion to save!**_" Mister P's green eyes narrowed, looking intently at him. "_**You seem like the kind who gets thrown in the deep end on a regular basis.**_" Yes, that was an accurate statement. "_**No need to break a trend then!**_" No, _no_, that's not what was needed at all! "_**Stay determined, and don't lose sight of yourself, and you'll not waver in the face of the enemy!**_" With a snort, the bird-man stomped forward, lashing out with his fists against the decrepit Shadow. The headless creature snarled, parrying blows with his right hand and his staff.

_...okay, I guess he's helping?_ Shinji steeled himself, thinking back to the flow of battle against Chiba Takehide's Shadow. Frankly, he would have preferred having Misato or Akechi by his side instead of...whoever Mister P actually was. Then again, beggars couldn't be choosers, could they? "Okay..."

"**Why are you even bothering?**" growled Kensuke's Shadow, pushing Mister P back with a booted foot before point his shepherd's crook right at him again. "_**Dormina!**_" A giant English letter - 'Z', if he recalled correctly, and _okay brain, not the time for English lessons!_ \- erupted from the staff.

Shinji grit his teeth as the attack rushed towards him. _Stay determined!_ he mentally chanted, recalling Mister P's advice.

The letter loomed large.

Shinji promptly leapt to the side, dodging the spectral letter. Being determined was no reason just to stand there and take it! "Hamlet...attack!"

His Persona brimmed with life again, eyes shimmering as he held his sword aloft. With a defiant roar, he charged into the fray, striking at Kensuke's Shadow from the other side.

The tide had officially turned: Mister P's fists and Hamlet's sword struck with unerring ferocity against Kensuke's Shadow, despite his attempts to dodge or parry them both. "**I'm just a lowly braggart...why are you trying to fight me...?**" The Shadow huffed, lashing out with his staff. "**Leave me to my despair!**"

"_**You still have to come home,**_" remarked Hamlet. "_**Psi!**_" His skull flashed, blasting the Shadow with rainbows of stark, psychedelic colors.

"_**If you need to have a cry, at least wait until you're out of the Metaverse!**_" boasted Mister P, his fist smashing into the Shadow's sternum. As it went sliding back, he added, "_**allow me to give you a lift! Take flight...**_" The bird-man's eyes flashed yellow. "_**GRYPHON!**_"

Blue wisps of fire emanated from Mister P, coagulating in the air above them. From the ethereal flames emerged a majestic beast: a white lion, lithe and muscular. However, instead of a ferocious leonine head, there was a dignified eagle's head, bearing royal purple plumage and a beak of gold. A white mask molded over the face and eyes, hiding the creature's gaze from view; four equally violent wings emerged from the shoulder blades, flapping with an immense wingspan.

Kensuke's Shadow, still reeling from Psi, raised his shepherd's crook. "_**Maka-**_"

"_**WINGS OF FURY!**_" bellowed Mister P.

Gryphon shrieked, a translucent sheen emerging from the lower pair of wings. The upper pair spread wide, holding the Persona aloft as the lower pair flapped once, decisively so. Green wisps - fashioned into the shape of fists - erupted, rushing with the speed of a fierce gale.

Manifold fists of wind smashed into Kensuke's Shadow, unleashing concussive claps with each impact.

The mythic creature slowly set down, loosing an expectant squawk at the Shadow.

With a groaning lurch, the headless beast collapsed onto the ground.

Shinji blinked. "...is it over?" _Please tell me it's over.  
_  
"_**It'll only be over when the boy says it's over!**_" said Mister P, looking up at the spiraling staircase. "_**Ah, what particular timing, young maiden!**_"

Shinji glanced to the side; Lilith slowly descended upon her fairy wings, gently setting Rei Ayanami down on the floor. "The other emanations of the Realm vanished once Aida's Shadow was defeated." Indeed, the headless being was slowly beginning to dissipate, dissolving into blue fire. "I apologize for being preoccupied."

The bird-man chortled. "_**Such nonsense! They truly must have been ferocious to hold back one of your caliber, hmm?**_" Shinji frowned at the interplay between Mister P and Ayanami; why did the latter seem irritated by Mister P's comment? _He was complimenting her, wasn't he? _Wait, did Mister P just _wink_ at her? _What's with the wink?_

"...urgh..."

_Oh, right._ "Aida-san?" Shinji slowly stepped forward the mass of blue fire; it slowly oozed away from the boy's form, drawing down and coagulating into a...tiny clone of himself? _What the? Is that what his Shadow first looked like?_ "Um...are you...okay...?"

"...am I okay...?" The boy sounded bitter. "...heh..." He slowly sat up, looking despondently at his Shadow. "Not exactly a word I'd use..."

"_So...you have come to understand the truth, then..._" The boy's Shadow sounded surprisingly loud, for something so small. Yellow eyes stared intently at his doppelganger.

"...I think I kind of knew...I just didn't want to accept it..."

Shinji frowned. "Accept what?"

Aida stared longingly up at the statue of his mother. "My mom...she made being an A.T. agent sound like the coolest thing in the world...and knowing how important the Task Force's job made it seem even more heroic, you know? I...I read as much as I could, after she died...about the Metaverse, about Personas, about her job...and I wanted it so _badly_..." The bespectacled boy sighed, shaking his head wearily. "Always got told by recruiters that I didn't have the proper mentality for the job. That I'd be better served doing something more suited to my talents...but I didn't listen." He ran a shaky hand through his hair. "They'd know better, obviously. _Obviously._ But I couldn't...I couldn't accept the reality..."

_...am I supposed to say something right now?_ wondered Shinji. "Um..."

"I seriously thought that just stampeding my way through would make a difference, no matter what stood in my way...even though I knew the dangers that the Metaverse represented. I knew that facing my Shadow was going to involve something harsh and painful...but I thought it would be easy. Because I _knew_ better." His head sagged. "I just...I wanted to be a hero like mom..."

_Is he talking to himself? _"Well-"

A muscular hand clamped over his lips. "_**Ssh,**_" quietly whispered Mister P. "_**Let the lad have his epiphany in peace.**_"

_...okay?_ Also, why did the man's hands smell like tuna-?

"...but...there are ways to be a hero that don't involve being an agent...logistics, planning...stuff that ain't glamorous, but still important...and...I think I knew that, deep down." He chuckled; it was a bittersweet sound. "My Shadow...its skills were all tied to status effects...like a...like a _support_ character." He readjusted his glasses, looking calmly at his Shadow. "And...I guess support characters can be important, even if they're not in the spotlight...right?"

Kensuke's Shadow was silent. Expectant, almost.

"...heh, why am I telling this to you? It's not like you're hearing you don't already know...after all, I am you. And you are me." Kensuke leaned back against the base of the statue, a melancholy smile on his face. "Just a small, stupid kid..."

It was more than mere words. It was a genuine sentiment, stirred from within the depths of Kensuke Aida's heart.

The Shadow of his mind and will responded accordingly, swelling into a figure more in line with the boy's true physical size: the armor was no longer rusted, but plain and unassuming; the purple robes were no longer tattered, but well cared for; joining the shepherd's crook in his left hand was an old-fashioned grain flail in the right hand; lastly, no longer was the being headless, but rather bore a face covered by the ornate mask of an Egyptian pharaoh. "_**I am thou...and thou art I...thy will hast accepted the limits thine heart long understood...and through that, hath gained the wisdom to overcome life's hardships. Remember this, and thou shalt no longer fear the sting of inadequacy. I, **_**Ozymandias**_**, will help thou see to it.**_" And with those words, Kensuke Aida's Shadow - nay, his Persona - faded away into wisps of blue fire, which converged on Kensuke's form. Within moments, his uniform had transformed, similarly to how Shinji's had upon summoning Hamlet: over his body was the garb of what appeared to be an A.T. agent, save for the fact various pieces looked rather...fake, or phony. As though the uniform had been purchased in a costume shop, instead of being the genuine article.

Aida inspected his new duds with a rueful grimace, one that he nonetheless endured. "Like a cheap imitation...guess I really knew it deep down, huh...?"

Shinji quietly removed Mister P's hand from his mouth. Because seriously, the smell of tuna was just _too_ much. "...well, maybe for now," he admitted, trying to find something encouraging to say. "But who's to say that it won't be the real thing with enough time?"

"...heh. You're a real good guy, Ikari," acknowledged Aida. "...also..." He pointed dramatically at Mister P. "When the heck did _you_ get here?! _WHY _are you here?!"

"A very good question, Aida-san," said Ayanami, finally speaking up. "Please, _Mister P_; enlighten us as to why you came here."

The mustache emanating from Mister P's beak twitched delicately. "_**Such suspicion! Am I not a mere bystander, a good Samaritan, helping proverbial newcomers?**_" He pointed dramatically at Kensuke. "_**I sensed your presence, alone and feeble, and so I came to offer my aid! Or did you think my offer from before was made in jest?**_"

"Offer...?" inquired Kensuke. "Do you know what kind of trouble we got into after you kicked us out of the Metaverse?! For that matter, _how_ did you do that?!"

"_**Ah, help does not come with the obligation to disclose everything.**_" The bird-man looked knowingly at Rei Ayanami. "_**Isn't that right, my dear?**_"

Ayanami did not answer.

"...um..." Shinji blanched as three pairs of eyes looked in his direction. _Why do I even bother talking?_ "...so...what now?"

"We will be leaving, and we will be reporting today's events to NERV. Aida-san will need to undergo some preliminary instruction regarding what it means to be a Persona-user." Kensuke opened his mouth. "And self-instruction does not count." The boy closed his mouth, trying not to pout, and somewhat failing. "You will most likely have additional restrictions placed on you, in terms of travel to the Metaverse."

"...I didn't even come here _willingly_," he pointed out, looking intently at Rei Ayanami, while trying _not_ to look at her Persona. Because...well, it went without saying, judging by the creeping redness on his face. "I go to bed, and next thing I know, I'm _here!_ How is that my fault?!"

"It was not your fault. But restrictions will be placed regardless."

"_**And yet restrictions are so very easy to circumvent, aren't they?**_" Mister P huffed, seemingly amused. "_**That will be the decision you and yours will have to make, little chickadees. Just know that, the **_**next****_ time you end up in the cognitive world, know that I'll be here to give you a hand!_**" He vanished in a flicker.

_Oh no, not again-!  
_  
This time, there was not a strong tap on the back of his neck. Rather, there was instead a hefty hand grabbing his shirt collar from behind, a startled shout from Aida, and then they were _flying upward!_ "AAAAAAAAAAAGH!" screamed the two boys, thrown at high speed towards the entrance of the Realm-

_**WHOOSH**_

-and they landed roughly on the ashen peak of the cognitive mountain, kicking up dust and debris. "...what...what just happened?"

Kensuke Aida threw his hands up in the air. "I don't know. And I don't know if I _wanna_ know."

xxxx

Rei Ayanami stared at Mister P.

The enigmatic bird-man stared back.

Lilith watched in silence.

Gryphon stood protectively, a sentinel ready to strike.

"You play a dangerous game."

"_**Are not the best things in life a game, in one sense or another?**_"

"You seek to involve those who may not be suitable players."

"_**And yet the most important player needs pieces, doesn't he?**_"

Rei narrowed her eyes. "And you are the one who will decide that, then?"

"_**If I must...since you seem so keen on playing things safe.**_"

"...safe, you say." How dare he, she silently mused.

"_**You know that he will become more free to traverse the dimensions. He will need allies that he can trust implicitly...bonds that cannot be broken.**_"

"...if you are not careful, you will draw attention that we cannot afford."

Mister P chuckled. "_**And who is 'we', I wonder?**_"

She did not answer.

"_**I will do what I must to help the boy achieve his destiny. One way or another, my dear.**_"

"...in the end, that is not up to you to decide."

The bird-man shook his head sadly. "_**Poor, unfortunate soul...**_" He looked knowingly at her. "_**You cannot keep him safe forever. Not on your own.**_" In a flicker of static and light, he and his Persona were gone.

Only Ayanami and Lilith remained, left in an empty Realm that would soon collapse. And yet, she felt no rush in departing. "In the face of the Angels..." she murmured aloud, as she calmly walked up the stairs, "...in the face of him..." She thought of a lost man, hiding maddened eyes behind orange shades. "...in the face of..." No. She would not dare think of it. Thoughts had a life of their own, in the cognitive world...and some thoughts were inherently fatal. "...I will do what I must," she resolved to herself.

But for now, it was time to leave.

xxxx

Before Shinji Ikari and Kensuke Aida could gather themselves, Rei Ayanami popped out from the entrance to Kensuke's Realm. As if in response to her departure, the kneeling silhouette that had served as the Realm's entrance began to fade away; its purpose, seemingly served, signaled the end of the pocket dimension entirely. "Now...with this incident behind us-"

"A little mild, just calling it an _incident_," murmured Kensuke, fiddling with the various widgets on his faux-A.T. Agent appearance. "I mean...yeah, I screwed up on a lot of things, but I still manifested a Persona."

"-we will have to establish some ground rules," finished Rei, acting as if Kensuke had said nothing. The blunette looked stoically at the two boys, taking their measure.

Shinji resisted the urge to fidget. "...like, beyond the NERV stuff, or...?"

"...I am referring to personal matters." The girl sighed, briefly gazing at the great void at the heart of Tokyo-1. "Given the unknown circumstances behind your unexpected entrance into the Metaverse...it would be best to establish a means for us to contact each other."

Kensuke blinked. "...why?"

"Even though you will be given additional guidance by NERV due to awakening your Persona, I have the strangest suspicion that you and Ikari will end up within the Metaverse without official supervision in the future. Establishing contingencies is only logical."

"...okay, fair enough. We talking about a dedicated hideout, or something?"

Ayanami paused; palpably pondered, judging by the slight furrow of her eyebrows. "...that would also be agreeable. However, I was referring to the exchange of contact information. I already have Ikari's number."

Kensuke stared; seriously stunned, judging by the slow drop of his jaw. "...wait, are you asking for my phone number?"

"Yes. I will be giving you mine as well, in the interest of fairness."

"...you know what, I don't even care that I nearly got _nommed_ by my own Shadow today. I've got my Persona, _and_ a cute girl's phone number. This is easily on my Top 10 days of all time."

Shinji resisted the urge to grimace. _I really don't think she's thinking about it that way, Aida-san..._

"I can see the justifiable skepticism on your face, Ikari," snarked Kensuke. "Just let me have my delusions, please?"

"...but isn't deluding yourself bad?" asked Shinji.

"Yes, it is," answered Rei.

"Oh come on, this delusion is mostly harmless! Not like, well, the one from earlier..." feebly protested Kensuke.

"...wait, if you know it's a delusion, is it actually a delusion?"

Kensuke's eyes narrowed, staring pointedly at him. "Seriously, Ikari, can you even joke? Or banter? Serious question."

"Sorry..."

"I wasn't criticizing you, it was an honest question!" yelped the bespectacled boy, trying not to offend him any further.

The two were suddenly interrupted by Rei. "I believe our time here has come to an end." Before they could ask her, a trio of spotlights shined around their position, courtesy of three Ocular Drones. They were accompanied by several other rainbow-colored eyes, observing their position diligently.

From one of the ominous-looking machines, a familiar voice emerged. "**My word, children, but you're an awful long away from Tokyo-3**." Goro Akechi's voice was amiable, echoing through the cognitive air with far more reverb than would have been physically possible in the real world. "**What say we get you three back home?**"

_...well, at least he doesn't sound mad._ Shinji would take that as a plus.

xxxx

/NERV/

As it turned out, even though Goro Akechi might not have been mad, Misato Katsuragi had been a different story...potentially. _Especially_ given her facial expression upon finding out that they had gone into the Metaverse without standard authorization. Again.

Only two facts prevented the A.T. agent from flipping her proverbial lid. First, Kensuke's entry into the Metaverse had been completely involuntary, as far as they were aware. Unless the boy had somehow manifested the powers to slip through dimensions without their knowledge, which he swore up and down that he didn't. ("I'm not interested in getting dissected, you hear?!")

Dr. Ritsuko Akagi's droll response that dissection _would_ be performed if he ever ended up dying while in NERV's employ was of no comfort to the new Persona-user.

Second, Ikari's subsequent rescue mission had been alongside Rei Ayanami, who had least had implicit authorization of her own, given her ability to enter the Metaverse at will.

Still, none of that meant anything next to the whole ordeal of actually determining what went down. Thus began the whole recap of that day's events: Aida's awakening within the cognitive world; his slow trek to the outskirts of Tokyo-1's cognitive shadow, however marred it was; Ayanami's impromptu use of a rescue mission as an excuse to help Shinji get some training; Aida's discovery of his Shadow's Realm, at the peak of Mount Hiru; the battles that followed, once the two Evangelion-users had arrived on the scene; the fateful encounter between Aida and his Shadow; the timely assistance of the mysterious Mister P, who apparently had a Persona of his own (which had only raised Katsuragi's hackles further, even as Dr. Akagi looked vaguely intrigued); the conclusion of the battle, and the subsequent disappearance of Aida's Realm. Everything after that, once the A.T. Task Force's Ocular Drones had caught up with them, was a matter of official record.

Overall, the two boys were visibly tiring by the end of it all, languishing on one side of a long table within a rather bland conference room. Only Ayanami seemed nonplussed by the end of it all, sitting stoically to Shinji's left.

Dr. Akagi was quietly writing in a notepad, even as Misato Katsuragi tapped her arms with barely-veiled frustration. "That Mister P's gonna be a handful, I can tell already..."

"...he honestly seemed like a pretty nice guy," admitted Shinji, trying to come to the bizarre bird-man's defense. "I mean, he didn't _have _to help us._"_

"Which means he probably has a game of his own in mind," remarked Ritsuko Akagi, idly continuing with her notations. "People don't just help others for free."

Shinji blinked. "...but isn't that what charity and volunteer work is?"

The blonde chuckled darkly. "Oh, you naive little kid..."

"Come on Ritsky, no need to expose him to the more charming side of your personality," lightly snarked Misato. "Either way, at least we have a better description now. Because _someone _apparently considers Mister P's true identity to be above _my_ paygrade," she said, glaring at Ayanami the entire time, "all I can do is set up a watch alert with the A.T. Task Force. If he makes a move, he'll eventually get spotted." The A.T. agent's gaze sharpened. "Just for the record: after Mister P threw the two boys out of the Realm, did he say anything else to you?"

"Nothing of consequence before he vanished," truthfully answered Rei.

"I'd like to decide if what he said was consequential or not. Or is that _another_ thing that you're not going to tell me?"

"Yes."

Sensing the rising tension between the older woman and the stoic blunette, Shinji tried to steer the conversation away from...whatever _this_ strange feud was. "Can you at least treat him gently?" he pleaded. "I really don't think he's a bad guy."

"Relax, we're not trying to kill the guy. We'd just like to get to _know him better._" The saccharine way that Misato said those last words didn't comfort Shinji at all. "At any rate, I'd congratulate the newbie on awakening his Persona...if it didn't mean he'll have go through a battery of tests tomorrow..._and_ if it didn't mean that he'll have to sit down with the geeks in Legal to go over some of the newer clauses of the Cognitive Service Act that now apply to him as a Persona-user."

Aida visibly deflated. "Gee, _thanks_."

"Hey, you got what you wanted. Welcome to what comes with it," nonchalantly said Ritsuko.

"If it brings you any comfort, I'm sure your mother experienced these same trials," interjected Ayanami.

"Well _yeah_, but she was an adult at the time!" protested the rambunctious boy. "I haven't even gotten into high school yet!"

"And we live in a world where kids even younger than you can wreak cognitive havoc if sufficiently traumatized. You'll have to forgive the government for not treading lightly." The blonde doctor sighed deeply, looking somewhat less detached for once. "For all intents and purposes, the moment you became involved with the affairs of the cognitive world, you entered the world of adulthood."

The blunt delivery, as harsh as it sounded, seemed to assuage Kensuke somewhat. "...I guess that is the world we live in now, huh..."

"Well, at least you kids aren't in it alone." Misato forced a smile onto her face. "So! After school tomorrow, I'd like the three of you to come back to NERV just so we can get some bureaucratic stuff out of the way...and then we can get to the _fun_ stuff!"

"...like what?" asked Shinji.

"Training!"

_Ah. 'Fun' stuff._ Shinji didn't have to try hard to contain his excitement. Or at all, really.

xxxx

/Room 23, 2nd Floor, Izanagi Dorms, Hakone Academy/

It was relatively solemn, being dropped off at the Academy by Misato Katsuragi; her tension with Rei Ayanami had yet to fade, which was why the woman's departure had seemed so terse.

The blunette had simply bid them a good night and returned to the Izanami Dorms.

Shinji didn't feel like breaking the silence with any words; for once, Kensuke apparently didn't either.

So as they entered their room, Toji Suzuhara's pointed stare was startling, for how it pierced the quiet. "Y'all been out all day. NERV stuff?"

"...yes," calmly answered Kensuke, briefly puffing his chest up. Whether it was to reassure himself or Toji, Shinji had no way of knowing. "Top secret stuff. _Classified_."

"Keep me out of it," grumbled the jock. "_Still_ not over the fact you two basically got kidnapped by Ayanami the other day. You have any idea what kind of rumors that caused?"

"I do!" chirped Kaworu Nagisa from atop his bunk bed, stress ball in hand. "They're quite salacious."

Shinji paled, kind of wishing that he knew what exactly those rumors were, and hating himself for that fact.

Fortunately, Aida-san was apparently more than happy enough to inquire. "Well, now I'm _intrigued!_ I've been out the loop what with all that's been going on; what was the craziest one?"

As the bespectacled boy - apparently retaining a sense of his normal bluster despite the events of the day - tried to pry the details out of a reluctant Suzuhara and a cheerfully nonchalant Nagisa, Shinji found himself looking at his bed with longing. So he promptly plopped down onto it, waiting for sleep to take him.

The brief buzzing on his cell phone piqued his attention.

**HEROD: WE HAVE YET TO RECEIVE YOUR ANSWER TO OUR PRIOR INQUIRY.  
HEROD: I REQUEST A STATUS UPDATE.**

Looking back over the chat log, Shinji resisted the urge to groan. What was even the point of the question? _What texts do I identify with...?_ Burn my dread; we're all trapped in a maze of relationships; if you hold on, life won't change; those three had been provided as options. In all honesty, it was a rather simple choice.

**SI: the relationship one**

The response was almost immediate.

**HEROD: YOUR ANXIETY RELATIVE TO THE RELATIONSHIPS YOU POSSESS IS OF GREATER MAGNITUDE THAN YOUR OWN FEAR OR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO CHANGE.  
HEROD: THIS IS USEFUL DATA.  
HEROD: WE WILL PROVIDE FURTHER INQUIRY SOON.**

Shinji blinked dumbly at his phone.

Then he rolled over and closed his eyes, because he just wanted this day to _end_. It felt like it had gone on forever...

Merciful slumber soon claimed him.

xxxx

**END OF 6/14/2015**

xxxx

Author's Note: Okay, so it's been a while. Was almost completely done with this chapter as of last June, then I got sidelined by someone doing a live reaction (of sorts) to my _Mobile Fighter Evangelion_ story, which prompted me to help them out on some various details. It also afforded me the opportunity to fix some missed typos on it (such that I consider the version of the story on Sufficient Velocity to be the definitive version). That live reaction lasted for...four, five months?

Thus, this story fell to the wayside, and...well, one of my weaknesses with regards to hobbies like fanfiction is if I don't have momentum keeping me going, it becomes very difficult to write.

However, you can thank the 130+ hours I spent over the past several weeks on Persona 5: Royal for getting the momentum back.

So, let's keep going, shall we?


	12. Monday - June 15, 2015

_Sokila was fidgeting._

_"Kensuke Aida has a Persona too, huh..."_

_Like, a lot._

_"...I wonder if he's gonna be helpful?"_

_Her smile was feeble._

_"Maybe he's just trying his best...just like you and me?"_

_The faint haze of blue began to brighten-_

xxxx

/Monday: June 15, 2015/

/Courtyards, Hakone Academy/

The four denizens of Room 23 of Izanagi's second floor couldn't help but feel as though they were being watched.

"_Ya think he's gonna say something crude again?_"

"_I'll make sure to record it._"

"_The heck was the Ice Queen doing, dragging them away last week?_"

"_-wonder if they got in trouble with NERV._"

"_See, I'd bet otherwise. She actually came to their dorm room yesterday-_"

"_For real?!_"

"_I wonder if they're doing...well, you know._"

"_No, I DON'T know. Tell me!_"

Shinji Ikari felt like crawling into a hole and dying.

"_-think they got some blackmail on Aida? He's always been-_"

Kensuke Aida grimaced, looking somewhat offended.

"_I swear, that dorm room must be cursed. First Tomochika, and now they get more weirdos-_"

Toji Suzuhara's nostrils flared with audible anger.

"_And somehow, Nagisa's STILL stranger than all of them combined._"

Kaworu Nagisa bore a cheerful smile. "My, we seem to be the subject of much discussion, today."

"You seriously can't be _that _clueless, can you?" Suzuhara grimaced, rubbing the back of his scalp with frustrated energy. "I just wanted y'all to keep the NERV stuff away from the dorm. That wasn't too much to ask for, was it?"

"Sorry..." muttered Shinji. If it were under his control, he would have kept his 'employer' far away from the Academy.

"Well, sorry ain't gonna cut it, now will it?"

"Come on Toji, you've never been one to really care about rumors, why start now?" remarked Kensuke.

The jock huffed. "School's are full of rumors all the time, but _it's another thing when they're all about you from EVERYONE else._"

"So in other words, we're now the most popular students in school?" Kaworu pumped his fist with satisfaction. "Another achievement accomplished!"

Shinji, Kensuke, and Toji all stared at the ashen-haired boy with various measures of bewilderment. "Dude, are you in another world...?" muttered Toji.

"If only we could observe his brain, for the advancement of science..." faux-whispered Kensuke.

"Rumors should be of no concern."

The feminine voice was enough to startle the four boys into looking behind them; Rei Ayanami walked stoically behind them, not caring about how her proximity resulted in another round of whispers from the other students. "Ayanami?!" yelped Kensuke.

She nodded. "Good morning."

"G-Good morning," said Shinji, trying for at least some semblance of politeness. "How...are things?" _What kind of question was that?!_

"I am here to ensure you two do not get into anymore trouble on the way to class. It would be inconvenient."

Aida's surprise gave way to irritation. "Oh come on, are you _still _gonna get on our case about that?!"

"Regardless of your culpability, a trend has been established; it would be foolish to pretend it doesn't exist." Ayanami's red eyes cooly shifted towards Shinji. "...is there a problem, Nagisa?"

Shinji blinked, looking back forward; without so much as a sound, the silver-haired teen had shifted ahead of Shinji, placing the relative newcomer between himself and Ayanami. "I don't think there is, Ayanami-san." He pointedly did not look backwards.

"...wait a sec, are _you_ scared of her?" exclaimed Kensuke.

"Well, she has shown a tendency for violence. I believe out of all of us, Shinji-kun is the most suitable protection." He looked backwards with eyes that _somehow sparkled. _"You'll protect me, won't you?"

Ikari blinked, not comprehending exactly why Ayanami would have an issue with Nagisa. _Maybe I should play along?_ "...sure?"

Ayanami sighed. "So long as you do not interfere with their duties, you have nothing to be concerned about, Nagisa."

"Excellent!" The cheerful boy turned back around, his prior fear seemingly done away with entirely.

And all the while, the rumors around them accelerated.

"_...is the new kid in a love triangle between Ayanami and Nagisa?_"

"_Damn, he moves fast-_"

"_Do you think Aida's their cameraman?_"

This only seemed to fluster Toji even more. "Why can't I have normal roommates? _Why...?_"

Shinji tried not to burst into flames out of sheer embarassment as they continued onward to school.

xxxx

/Class 2-A, Junior High Branch, Hakone Academy/

Shinji Ikari blinked at the tables bunched up against his own. _Well, I guess lunch isn't going to be peaceful._ "...hi?"

"Hey, don't phrase it as a question," replied Kensuke Aida, promptly taking the day's lunch - a bowl of rice, tomato soup, red cabbage, and mashed beef - and mixing it all together. "We're here to plan!"

"Speak for yourself," grumbled Toji Suzuhara, sipping from his milk carton. "I already know what I'm doing."

"...what are we talking about?" asked Shinji.

"Plans for tomorrow, of course!" exclaimed the bespectacled boy. "Didn't you do anything during the new moon at Okayama?"

"...oh." That.

(His sensei quietly gestured for him to follow, as was the usual routine, once a month. The man's home, as remote as it was, was deemed too close to the local shrine - which also housed the local graveyard - to be occupied during the new moon and the night that followed.)

"Aida-san," reprimanded Hikari Horaki, "things may have been different in Okayama. Tokyo-3's a big place."

Shinji quietly took a bite of rice. Chewed. Gathered his thoughts. "...well, I lived in the outskirts of Nishiawakura."

"Never heard of it," said Suzuhara. A brief glare from Horaki silenced him.

"W-Well, it _is _a small place..." More rice, dunked in a bit of tomato soup. Chew. Repeat. "...we usually gathered at the local inn. It was kind of treated like a monthly festival, to keep people's spirits up." And it had the added benefit of keeping everyone within sight of the local police. Made keeping people under control simpler.

"Did ya ever _see_ anything?" whispered Kensuke.

"Aida-san!" harshly whispered Horaki.

(The local shrine was located near the top of a nearby mountain. Every so often, on the night after a new moon, spectral flames could be seen, much to the awe and fear of the locals.)

"...not really," admitted Shinji. Nothing that would compare to what was in Tokyo-3, at any rate. "We didn't have any club activities on the day of a new moon." _That _actually elicited some surprised looks. "What?"

"...guess that comes with being from a tiny place. We don't have _any _classes during the day of a new moon," advised Kensuke.

"Oh." Well, that made sense; Tokyo-3 was much bigger, so people undoubtedly needed more time to organize, and to get their affairs in order. "What do people usually do?"

"Most people gather in NERV's shelters; the shrines and local churches are also popular." Kensuke downed the rest of his mixed lunch with a hearty gasp of satisfaction. "Unlike your little town, the big cities have had enough resources to move religious sites away from the cemeteries. Or just flat-out build new ones."

"...I see." He doubted such a plan would have gone over in the small place he had lived in; too many people were attached to the local shrine, even if they acknowledged the dangers of being near it. As he took a bite of the beef, he idly looked around; for some reason, the ambience of whispers and rumors was muted, relative to the prior classes. "...everyone else has been quiet."

"That's because I'm sitting by you," nonchalantly answered Hikari.

"...huh?"

"Everyone's too terrified of the Class Rep," admitted Toji, a strangely smug grin on his face. The light slap on his shoulder did nothing to deter it.

"More like they know better than to engage in such foolishness around me." Horaki's answer was rather insistent.

_...maybe I should sit around Horaki-san more often?_ Shinji briefly put his thoughts on hold, glancing toward the _kyuushoku _serving line; Rei Ayanami was one of the designated servers that day, dutifully doling out the soup and rice. Every motion, however, was of one detached; he would have said that she was bored, but that would have been a lie. It was as if her capacity to have interest in anything was utterly removed. It was a stark contrast with her demeanor within the Metaverse or at NERV: as stoic as she had been back then, she had undeniably worked and acted with _purpose. _That lack of intentionality was honestly...sad. And a little scary. _No wonder Horaki-san and Fuyutsuki-sensei warned me about ending up like her..._

"So, which shelter are we gonna use tomorrow?" Aida's words roused him from the brief introspection. "Think NERV has a special one for new employees?"

"...I honestly don't know. Maybe we can ask later today?"

"...oh yeah. We have _training_." Kensuke slumped over his table, bearing a wide smile that contradicted his exhausted demeanor. "Is it normal to be happy and irritated at the same time? I'm excited to learn more about using a _you-know-what_, but if Akagi's paperwork is any indication, it'll be a _nightmare_..."

Toji huffed. "Is it too much to ask that y'all keep it away from our dorm?"

Aida lazily waved his hand back and forth above his hand. "I can make no promises."

"...this sounds rather suspicious," murmured Hikari, her eyes narrowing. "Is it NERV-related?"

The normally rambunctious boy shrugged. "Eh, ask the faculty for what you're cleared to know, Class Rep. I'm still figuring things out myself. Don't want to accidentally leak anything, you know?"

"You might as well go ahead and spill. Knowing you, you'll end up blabbing before long, no matter _how_ much we wanna remain innocent bystanders," griped Toji.

"Well, I wouldn't go so far as to call you 'innocent'," joked the bespectacled boy.

Hikari's pigtails briefly flared up, as though they had a life of their own. "No fighting."

"Yes'm," grumbled Suzuhara.

"Oh come on, this isn't a fight, it's banter!" retorted Kensuke.

Participating in the conversation would have felt too much like interrupting, so Shinji settled for finishing his lunch.

xxxx

/Literature Club, Junior High Branch, Hakone Academy/

It was the afternoon after school let out, with everyone being in a relatively subdued mood. The warnings of the pending new moon were old hat by now, yet they were still treated with seriousness; after all, given the randomness of Angel Syndrome, there was no telling if life would take a turn for the worse. In a strange sort of way, the club activities were the last bit of normalcy before the morrow.

How fitting, that the Literature Club met today.

But first, there was the matter of _profusely_ apologizing for the now-infamous 'beaver' incident from last Friday. "I am _so _sorry! I didn't know that it was, well..." Oh gods, simply _thinking_ about it was causing his face to heat up.

Mayumi Yamagishi was no better, judging by her flushed cheeks. "I-It's...not a problem, Ikari-san..." The muted chuckles of the other few club members, buried as they were in their own books, didn't help. "F-From my understanding, Shakespeare's works uses v-very outdated English...so translations may sound weird."

That was putting it mildly. "Still..."

"...let's just read, shall we?" The girl forced a smile onto her face. "The Club won't be meeting tomorrow, so we might as well get as much in while we can..."

Thus began a placid afternoon, oddly peaceful in spite of tomorrow. The tension in Tokyo-3's atmosphere was much more palpable, compared to the sleepy rural countryside Shinji had spent the previous years in; it must have been a function of the greater population, if nothing else.

Reading through _The Tragedy of Hamlet_, dictionary and thesaurus in hand, was oddly effective at putting his mind off of whatever awaited him at NERV that evening. If nothing else, having to translate the words to simpler forms helped him grasp the flow of Hamlet's dialogue better. "Angels and ministers of grace defend us...be...a spirit of health or...damned goblin...bring with you airs from heaven or blasts from hell...?" That didn't quite sound right. "Be your intents wicked or charitable...you come in such a questionable...form? Shape?" _Ugh..._

"You really picked a difficult one to start off with."

Shinji briefly turned towards Yamagishi; she was currently two-thirds of the way through _Kokoro_, the same book he had seen her reading last Thursday. "...I guess so?"

"What prompted you to pick that one?" The long-haired girl briefly flinched. "I-If you don't mind my asking, that is..."

"No, it's fine." Shinji looked down at the play, trying to articulate exactly why he had picked it to begin with. It's not like he could tell her the truth, right? '_So, it turns out that I have another side of me that's based off the main character of an English work I've never read before. I figured I would try and learn about him, and that way I could learn about myself!'_ Sure, that would go over well. He didn't much understand it himself! "I'm...honestly not sure."

"...well, maybe it just spoke to you?" she said, a helpful undertone to her voice. "Some works have that effect on people. It's what makes them great."

"...I guess." That was as good an explanation as any.

Alas, it would not continue today, for the buzzing of his cell phone signalled the end of his time at the club.

**MK: Howdy Shinji-kun.  
MK: You're due at NERV in thirty!  
SI: okay, I'm on my way  
MK: Don't be late~ :D**

"I have to go. Sorry for stepping out so early."

Mayumi nodded knowingly. "It's okay. That's one of the best parts of the Literature Club: it's real easy to pick up where you left off." As she turned to go back to her chair, she added, "Ikari-san, stay safe tomorrow, okay?"

"I will." He doubted NERV would let anything happen to him...intentionally. Maybe. "Thank you."

And so he departed.

xxxx

/Training Room Four, NERV/

"_**And now...the end is near...**_"

Shinji Ikari, standing to the right of Kensuke Aida, tried looking for the intercom, trying to decipher the English lyrics coming from tinny speakers. It was a definite change, relative to the instrumentals - usually jazz, or simple string instruments - he had heard the previous times he had been in NERV.

"_**And so I face...the final curtain...**_"

Apparently, Dr. Ritsuko Akagi had already guessed why he was looking around the bright chamber. "The MAGI have been on a Sinatra kick today."

Kensuke Aida's eyebrow was twitching like mad. Apparently, _his _ear for English was better than Shinji's. "More like a sick joke, if you ask me..."

"Just ignore them," dryly said the blonde woman. "You're about to enter the cognitive world anyway, so it's not like you'll be hearing it for much longer. Maybe."

Rei Ayanami, standing stoically to Kensuke's left, didn't react whatsoever.

Given that Shinji couldn't quite catch most of the lyrics, ignoring the song wasn't that difficult (even if the man singing had a pleasant timbre); rather, his mind was recalling the _last _time he had been in a room like this. Two days prior, he and Ayanami had clashed with their Evangelions, dealing quite a bit of structural damage to Training Room Seven. Would a similar fate befall this place? "So...what are we going to do, exactly?"

"First of all, the report of yesterday's incident indicated that Ayanami gave you a crash course on entering the cognitive world of your own volition. I'd like you to give it a try."

Shinji blinked. "...like, right now?"

"That's the idea."

"...okay...what if-"

"Asking '_what if I can't_' is already setting yourself up for failure," interrupted Rei. "There is only action."

Aida huffed with amusement. "See, _that_ would have been a good place for a Jackie Chun quote. Or maybe Yoda, if you're up for something less native."

"I do not know who those people are."

Shinji could've sworn that the very light in Kensuke's eyes flickered and died, snuffed out in an instant. "...you _heathen_..."

Rei slowly blinked. "What religion are those two beings a part of?"

"...I don't know whether you're joking or not, and that's actually frightening."

Dr. Akagi's sigh cut through their banter. "Time _is_ a commodity, children. Ikari, if you will?"

"Oh. Yes. Right." He slowly backed away from the bespectacled boy and the blunette, feeling as though some extra space would help. He tried recalling the exact words that Ayanami had said...

("Be patient. Calm yourself...and think deeply. Ponder the pattern that your thoughts carve. Sense the boundaries of your soul, that define you in relation to others. To cross that threshold, you must know who you are...and you must know what you are not.")

_I'm Shinji Ikari. Shinji Ikari._

("The mind can be muddled and unclear...and the soul can rage against all outsiders...yet, you can acknowledge the truth that your heart pursues, at the expense of everything else...")

_Shinji..._

xxxx

_"...we have to talk, finally."_

_The response was staticky, vague, hidden. Yet the image before him was strangely stark...?_

"_But..we will always have a lot to do, won't we?"_

xxxx

_...Ikari_.

The song began to waver in his ears. Did it take this long yesterday?

"_**But through it all...! When there was doubt...**_"

He slowly became detached from physicality itself. Kensuke's animated griping with Ayanami began to fade.

"_**I ate it up, and spit it out!**_"

The song, strangely enough, lingered in his mind.

"_**I faced it all, and I stood tall!**_"

In its place, there was that hollow whisper, as the world around him shifted to gray, and then to sepia.

"_**And I did it...MY...WAY...!**_"

The blonde doctor and his two peers were gone. Standing in Ritsuko's place, tapping her foot with expectation, was Misato Katsuragi, in her A.T. Agent garb. "...not bad, Shinji-kun. Already entering the Metaverse by your lonesome, without even Ayanami's help? You learn fast!"

"...thank you."

Misato's smile seemed genuine, as she leaned back against the wall of Training Room Four's cognitive double; the entire room's relatively pristine appearance had transitioned into a strange mish-mash: gigantic microscopes and telescopes stared down at an aged _boxing_ ring, surrounded by various metal pods affixed to the walls. To seal the absurdity, a giant boombox hung in the air, suspended by a thick cable. "So...this is how we think of the Training Rooms. Kinda sorta."

"...what am I _looking _at?" blurted out Shinji.

"Well, aside from us A.T. Agents, a lot of NERV's employees use these places for private exercise or to spar; hence, the arena! However, every single training room is also under constant observation, not to mention that they're used for certain physical portions of the annual health check-up; which is why everyone always feels like they're under the proverbial microscope." She pointed upward towards the aforementioned giant instruments, a cheeky grin on her face. "As for the boom box...well, as it turns out, almost everyone listens to music while working out."

"...and the pods?"

"That's...something specific to us A.T. Agents. You'll see, once Ayanami and Aida-kun arrive...oh, speak of the devil!"

Shinji glanced over his shoulder; silhouettes of static slowly manifested, solidifying into three-dimensional forms, gaining color and definition. After about a minute, the transition was complete: Rei Ayanami stood calmly, her hands placed upon Kensuke Aida's forehead and heart; meanwhile, the boy in question was gripping onto the blunette's arms for dear life. "You can let go now, Aida-san."

"...you sure?"

"Yes. The transition is complete." A brief beat. "For the record, your thoughts are very chaotic. It made the shift unnecessarily difficult."

"Can ya blame me?! Ikari just faded into static instead of blinking out of existence like A.T. Agents are _supposed_ to do! It was _**freaky**_ looking!"

"It is a side effect of our nature as Evangelion-users. It is quite normal."

"Yeah, for _you!_"

The clearing of a throat prompted the two to be quiet. "Okay, calm down kiddos. We've got a new moon tomorrow, and for all our safeguards, they can still be unpredictable! So, we're gonna try and give the two newbies a bit of a crash course in what you can expect in the Metaverse during a new moon. But first, we're gonna do a little warm-up!" The purple-haired woman snapped her fingers; in a burst of blue flame, Tokoyo stood at attention.

Shinji gulped. "Are...we gonna fight you?"

"_Pfft_, nah. As much as I'd like to throttle children for fun and profit, I'm here to be your ref and to keep things from getting out of hand. You know, just in case!" She pointed at the arena. "Okay Shinji-kun, you're first up!"

Shinji blinked. "Me?"

"Yep! Get your Persona out and get in the ring!"

"...okay." _Wonder what we're going to be doing?_

xxxx

In the real world, Ritsuko Akagi and several assistants looked at various displays while the MAGI hummed in the background; the largest screen displayed a slightly fuzzy view of the cognitive counterpart to Training Room Four, with resolution and detail befitting an aged CRT television. Alas, for all the advances made, even the MAGI couldn't perfectly transmit the imagery being witnessed by Misato Katsuragi, Rei Ayanami, Shinji Ikari, and Kensuke Aida; only an imperfect recreation, courtesy of three artificial minds. "Hmm...we'll go with something relatively light to start with..." She calmly sipped from a styrofoam cup of relatively fresh coffee. Key word being 'relative'. "Let's try a **Kinnara**."

xxxx

Within the Metaverse, one of the pods slammed open, unveiling a burst of misty fog. A tall silhouette could be seen within.

Shinji Ikari held tightly onto his shovel, while Hamlet stood protectively by his side. Ayanami and Aida-san stood beyond the edges of the boxing ring, their Personas Lilith and Ozymandias standing at the ready as well. "...so...what's with the pods?" No harm in asking the question again, right?

"Well, given that A.T. Agents have to deal with a variety of situations, it's important that we get practice dealing with the strange thoughtbeasts that roam the Metaverse," explained Misato. "..._however_, doing it out on the streets up above is a recipe for bad shenanigans, because there's no telling if someone's Shadow will decide to get involved. Thus, the solution offered to the Task Force by NERV was fairly simple: they would provide the arena _and_ the Archetypes for A.T. Agents, in return for the rights to all observational data related to any training we did here. All things considered, it's a win-win."

Speaking of Archetypes, the silhouette leapt out of the pod, landing heavily in the ring; standing at eight feet tall, it was a being with the head of a horse and the body of a man. The muscular torso was well-defined, which seemed out of place compared to the pale, dainty-looking lyre resting in the crook of the left arm. The hairy legs were awash in thick green fur, ending in feet adorned with heavy brown boots; the horse head was of the same color, with brilliant red eyes. With a very equine huff, the Archetype began to speak. "**Agh...those pods were more cramped than advertised!**"

"Ooh, a Kinnara!" Misato grinned. "A pretty good one to whet your teeth on."

Shinji blinked as another question came to mind. "...Misato? How does NERV get the Archetypes?"

"**I was basically kidnapped.**"

"WHAT?!"

Misato sighed with annoyance. "Oh _come_ on, it's not like it's a Shadow. How can we kidnap a _literal _figment of the imagination?!" There was a brief pause. "Also, I _may _be remembering things wrong, but didn't we actually bribe you to come here willingly?"

"**I was told I would play a brilliant song before a massive crowd; you only provided, like, five people for my performance!**"

"Misato-san, how could you?!" yelled Shinji.

"Oh come on, I am _not_ the villain here!"

Kensuke blinked dumbly at the display. "...this is far less dramatic than I was expecting."

"The MAGI can create artificial Archetypes...however, they lack the variability and liveliness of true Archetypes," explained Ayanami. "A sign of their unnatural origin, perhaps. As such, kidnapping real Archetypes and bringing them to NERV is considered more effective in terms of training prospective Persona-users in how to handle the various eccentricities of the cognitive world's entities."

"...that also sounds very sketchy."

"Art has nothing to do with the operational procedures of NERV and the Anti-Terror Task Force."

"Oh come on, that was on purpose!"

The banter of the four humans was apparently enough for the horse-person to snap. "**Your yelling is **_**so**_** not musical!**" With a melodious strumming of the lyre, the thoughtbeast manifested orbs of fire. "_**Maragi!**_"

With a yelp, Shinji dove to the side, his movement assisted by Hamlet. The fiery orbs crashed into the ground, charring the surface of the ring. "Hamlet!" cried Shinji.

"_**Tentarafoo!**_" The royal Persona's handheld skull flashed yellow, blinding the Kinnara.

"**Gah!**" The horse-man faltered, gingerly looking at Shinji with panicked eyes. "**H-Hey now..."**

"Good strategy, Shinji-kun!" yelled Misato. "Inflicting the enemy with cognitive ailments can make them more docile or easier to subdue; you can also make them more susceptible to certain attacks! Give it a shot!"

With a gesture from Shinji, Hamlet's skull flared with bright streams of multicolored light. "_**Psi!**_" They converged on the Kinnara in a lackadaisacal manner, yet it was enough to knock the horse-man onto his butt.

"Nice one Shinji-kun!" cheered Misato. "Now, in _normal_ circumstances, this would be an opportunity for us to interrogate the Archetype, because they can sometimes provide interesting bits of information that could prove useful...but that doesn't apply here. So..._go for a flashy finisher!_"

Shinji boggled. "WHAT?! I don't need to kill him!"

"**Yeah seriously, WHAT?!**" yelled the Archetype, in complete agreement with his opponent.

Misato sighed heavily, apparently having expected this. "Shinji-kun...this isn't a Shadow. It doesn't belong to a real person. Besides, after battling you, its form will break apart naturally after this fight...it's just the way this world works. Here, they're only good for helping you become stronger."

"**Aw come on, I can do more than that!**" The horse-man turned with pleading eyes towards Shinji. "**I can play great songs, maybe lull you to sleep when you're having insomnia...**"

The sheer liveliness and _intention_ within the Archetype's voice was enough to make Shinji's insides quiver. "Misato...I don't know about this..."

"Shinji-kun..." Why did Misato have to sound so _compassionate_? Why couldn't she sound heartless, so his refusal to obey would be easier to justify? "I get it. They sound like they're alive...but they're the remnants of people's thoughts. And people want to live...so of _course_ it sounds the same. But it's like an act. It's not really alive."

"**Bah, she don't know what she's talking about!**" snapped the horse-man. "**Come on, you know what it's like to want to play a song, right...?**"

"...well, I do like the cello." admitted Shinji.

"**Ooh! A string instrument! You have good taste.**"

Misato sighed theatrically. "Fine, fine...if this'll help you get it out of your system, go ahead and talk it out. But it'll fade away no matter what you do in the end..."

"**Ignoring the peanut gallery over there...**" The Kinnara paused. "**Hey, I got a question for you. You don't seem like you're cut out for this business. So why fight me?**"

Shinji blinked at the question. _That was...insightful._ Was such a being truly not alive? "...well, you attacked me first," he admitted. "Why do _you_ fight?"

"**Ah, another question! That's fair enough, I guess...**"

"Come on Shinji-kun, enough is enough." Misato was tapping her foot, visibly irritated. "We need to let Aida-san get his feet wet."

"**...I suppose that's...wait.**" The horse-man's eyes lit up. "**I **_**see**_** now!**"

"...wait, is it gonna do a surprise attack?" Misato tensed. "Shinji-!"

"**I ain't just any ol' horse-man! I was born from humanity!**" The Kinnara's form was shrouded with blue fire. "_**I am thou, and thou art I! **_**If you'll have me, we'll make beautiful music together!**"

Misato's eyes slowly began to widen. "Wait, what the _hell-?_"

Shinji, not really thinking this was all that unusual, shrugged. "Sure...I guess? Why not."

"**Then it's a deal!**" With a flourish of azure light, the horse-man dissolved, flowing into Shinji's body.

Shinji blinked, feeling strangely full, as if he had just eaten a rather hefty sandwich. "...Kinnara?"

_**FLASH!**_

In a burst of flame, Hamlet's form gave way to that of Kinnara. "Oh..." Shinji felt inordinately proud of himself. "Misato-san, I didn't have to kill him!" He looked over at his superior, only to frown at the expression on her face: the woman appeared absolutely _gobsmacked_. "...Misato?" No answer emerged, even though her jaw had dropped as low as it could possibly go. "Um..." He turned to ask his peers what was wrong, only to blanch at the look of absolute _hero-worship _on Kensuke's face. "...why are you looking at me like that?"

"You're able to _recruit _Archetypes?!" squealed the bespectacled boy. "THAT IS _SO __**COOL!**_"

For once, Shinji was grateful for Ayanami's quiet nature; all she had done was raise her eyebrows by a few centimeters. "...Ayanami...?"

"You have done something which is theoretically impossible," remarked the blunette. It was at that point that the big boombox hanging above them played a jaunty tune. "However, the MAGI apparently consider it a sufficient victory condition," finished the young girl.

xxxx

Spewed coffee stained at least two monitors, four keyboards, and one assistant; if nothing else could be said about Ritsuko Akagi, her spit-take was _masterful_.

"Uh...Dr. Akagi...?"

The one who had _dared _to speak - as though something utterly stupefying hadn't just occurred - found himself gagging for air as she clutched his tie like a leash. "That wasn't a glitch, _was it?_"

"Er...n-no ma'am-"

She released him, letting him drop to the ground. "Then get the rest of your teams in here, _right now!_" She turned back to the main displays, furiously reaching for a cigarette as she glared at the anomalous readings being spat out by the MAGI. "We're officially dealing with something _unprecedented._"

xxxx

"...Ayanami, please take over Aida-san's training for the time being. I need to talk with Shinji-kun."

Katsuragi's order elicited a nod from the blunette. "Understood." She turned towards Kensuke. "Please get into the ring, Aida-san. We will uncover the depth of your Persona's abilities."

"All right then!" The boy was apparently on _some_ kind of high after the recent battle, because he excitedly got into the arena alongside Ozymandias. "Bring it on! I've gotta pay you back for how you manhandled me last Wednesday!"

"Vigor and eagerness will do you well until you attain greater skills," remarked the stoic girl as she calmly got into the ring, Lilith floating ominously above her shoulder.

As the sparring began, Shinji slowly walked towards Misato; she was looking at him with an unnerving gaze, as though trying to divine every aspect of his being. The fact that her Persona Tokoyo was keeping a hand upon her sword also put him on edge. "Um...Misato-san...?"

"...how...?" She sounded bewildered, yet full of wonder. "How can you use more than one Persona...?"

"...um..." He tried to think about it. The first thing that came to mind had to do with why he was in Tokyo-3 to begin. "Does...it have to do with Evangelion...?"

She shook her head. "Nope. Neither Ayanami nor Asuka have shown the ability to use more than one Persona. As far as I'm aware, _no one_ has ever shown that ability..."

"...oh."

"Do you have any idea? _Any_ idea at all?"

He tried to think harder. The back of his mind felt that there was _some _answer he could give...something involving a pleasant shade of blue? Yet, for some reason, the words wouldn't form. "...I don't know..." Misato stared for so long that it was starting to get uncomfortable. "...?"

"...hmm." The woman shook her head. "It may have something to do with you...guess we'll find out one way or another." She briefly thumbed her medallion, brows furrowing as though listening to someone. "...is that so?"

xxxx

Back in the real world, Dr. Akagi and her assistants had been joined by over four dozen other people. "That's right Misato," muttered the blonde, her figures typing furiously away. Her words were being translated by the MAGI directly into a psychic communique to the A.T. Agent, using her medallion as the medium. "We're going to _stress test _this new power."

xxxx

"...hmm. Can't exactly argue against that."

"...who are you talking to?" asked Shinji.

"Eh, just getting word from Ritsuko about what we're going to do next. Your little display has kind of thrown our original agenda into disarray. _So..._" A devil-may-care grin that did _nothing_ to reassure him emerged on the woman's face. "...with _that_ in mind, we're gonna see if you can absorb more Archetypes!"

Shinji blinked. "...wait, what-?"

Another pod flipped open; emerging from within was a floating woman in an aged yet elegant red dress. Her head was also adorned by a dainty white handkerchief, evoking the appearance of a scullery maid. Were it not for her long emerald hair and green skin - and, well, the fact that she was _floating_ \- she would have appeared quite normal, notwithstanding her loveliness. "**Hello,**" she calmly remarked in a soft voice that echoed. "**Have I been summoned to die?**"

"Nope!" cheerfully said Misato.

"**I see. Am I to be thrashed senselessly?**"

_WHAT KIND OF QUESTIONS ARE THESE?! _mentally screamed Shinji.

"Not at all, Silky!" Misato gazed knowingly at him. "We've got something _special_ in mind."

The anticipatory glee in her voice did not reassure Shinji in the evening proceeded in a decidedly unconventional manner.

Over the next couple of hours...well, there was a lot of waiting around between being introduced to different Archetypes. Mostly to allow the MAGI time to analyze the changes in his mental profile and overall cognitive 'mass' (for lack of a better term) as he took upon more Archetypes. The negotiations had been...

xxxx

_"__**So, do you find me attractive?**__" asked Silky._

_Shinji's face went _beet red _at the unexpected question_. _"Um...uh...I mean...!"_

_"__**Hmm...I have reduced you to speechlessness? I don't know how to feel about that.**__" The green woman tilted her head. "__**It's somewhat likable...?**__"_

xxxx

...well...

xxxx

_Mandrake - a strange creature that looked like a combination of a flower and a naked doll - tilted its head. "__**Come on, I dare you to smell my flower!**__"_

_Shinji blinked. "That's...are you sure?" It felt so _rude_. "I don't know if my nose works here..." he offered, as a polite excuse._

_"__**Ha! But you've **_**got **_**a nose! You're funny.**__"  
_  
But I wasn't joking!

xxxx

...kind of weird.

As evidenced by the bluish cat with the red boots and wide-brimmed hat, waving his sword with playful menace. "**En garde!**"

Shinji grimaced as he parried with his shovel. "I'm sorry I don't have a sword!"

"**Nonsense! A shovel can be deadly in expert hands! Hoo, hah, nyah!**" Why had the talking cat - Cait Sith, apparently - insisted on dueling _him _instead of Hamlet, who actually _had_ a sword. "**Nyeh, you need to be more confident!**"

"Sorry..._ack!" _he barely managed to avoid the thoughtbeast's sabre, trying not to fall _and oh dear _he was falling. "GAH!" he yelped, landing roughly on his rump.

"**You make ridiculous noises, knave!**"

"...what's a knave?" he asked, wondering why it felt like a word that would fit right in with the play _Hamlet._

Cait Sith chuckled. "**Nyehehehe! Pretending to fall over yourself, making yourself look like a fool...well, I won't fall for it!**"

_What's there to fall for?!_ He honestly had _no _idea how this was all going to pan out, and Misato's stifled giggles _weren't helping._ "...well..." He had to win somehow. That was a condition placed by both the A.T. Agent _and_ the Archetype in question, because they _both _apparently had an interest in making him feel silly. "...um..." Rising to his feet, he looked over the sword-wielding cat. "...what's that over there?"

"**What? A sneak attack?!**" The Cait Sith whirled around-

_THWACK._

The sabre was knocked out of the thoughtbeast's unsuspecting paws by an overhead shovel swing, eliciting a shocked yelp from the talking feline. "**No fair, vile scum! You tricked me!**"

_...I honestly didn't expect that to work. _"...I didn't _ask_ you to turn around," he muttered. And now Misato's giggles had turned into _laughter_.

"**A wretched excuse to justify your villainy! I hereby dub thee DEVIOUS, nyeh!**"

"...but my name's Shinji." Why couldn't he say anything better than that?! _I must be tired. That has to be it._ Becuase otherwise...otherwise...confound it, he couldn't even think of something to criticize himself over! _I really AM tired..._

Cait Sith's green eyes narrowed. "**...a fair point. It wouldn't be fair to name you Devious when you already have a name...wait...**"

_And here it comes. _The trend had become established by this point; once the Archetype achieved an 'epiphany' about its origin, the offer would come...

"**...and I remember why I have a name of my own! I was born of humanity! **_**I am thou, and thou art I! **_**I offer thee my sword, in the future battles to come, nyah~**"

...like clockwork. "...sure thing."

"**Then our **_**meow**_**-velous pact has been sealed!**" The Cait Sith dissolved into azure light, flowing into his body just as the last three Archetypes had.

"...okay." Shinji slumped, landing roughly on his butt. "I feel..." Not quite nauseous, not quite weary...but the sense of fatigue felt vaguely familiar. Like...something. "...full." That worked! Kind of.

Misato walked towards him, gazing down at him with a critical gaze that didn't quite fit with the playful grin on her face. "Well, given everything that's been going on, I think maybe _now_ would be a good time to call it quits..."

xxxx

"Don't you _dare_ call it quits Misato," growled Ritsuko, her teeth clamped _tightly _around her third cigarette of the evening. "We still have so much more _testing_ to do!"

xxxx

"...because you look rather out of it, and I'd like you to be in good shape for tomorrow," finished Misato. "Besides, I'm sure the eggheads will have plenty of data to analyze for at _least_ the next several hours." Her last words sounded rather pointed.

xxxx

"...hmph. Fair enough." Dr. Akagi leaned back, rubbing at her eyes with a sudden sense of palpable exhaustion. The excited chatter and whispers of her subordinates served as a soothing balm. _Remember Ritsuko, he hasn't even been on the job for two weeks yet. Slow and steady..._

But damn it, even this break felt like _wasting time_! If Ayanami and Sohryu had been coveted by others for being Evangelion-users, there was no _telling_ what was going to happen once word about Ikari's unique ability got out...and it most certainly would. Of that, she had no doubt.

xxxx

Misato grinned. "Okay, I think we should call it an early evening. No telling what tomorrow may bring, and I need you to be well-rested!"

"That...sounds..." Lovely. Fantastic. Splendiferous. Insert-positive-word here. "...nice."

Misato nodded, gazing over at the boxing ring. "Okay kids! Time to wrap it up!" She briefly paused. "Ayanami, I think he's had enough."

"I agree," coolly remarked Rei. Her Persona had Kensuke's own in a straight ankle lock, which made for a _very_ amusing image. And yet, the blunette's current position - sitting over Kensuke's back, bending the boy's feet and legs backwards toward the back of his head - seemed even _more _amusing, especially in light of the bespectaled teen's grimace of anguish. "Aida-san will need more training."

"Why do you _know_ this hold?!" hissed Kensuke, his voice quivering from obvious pain.

"Because the Boston Crab can be quite useful, depending on the situation."

"..._WHY_ do you know what it's _called?!_"

"Should I not?" seriously asked Ayanami.

_...she seems to be having a good time_, deliriously thought Shinji. A bed sounded _really _good right now.

The transition back to the real world did nothing to erase the fatigue that Shinji felt. Aida looked like the walking dead; Ayanami seemed unperturbed, as always. Were he less tired, Shinji might have even admitted to feeling a scintilla of envy.

Fortunately, Misato was still somehow perky enough to make his weariness seem more tolerable. "Okay! Today's been...well, _eventful._" That she managed to say that with a straight face was impressive. "_Hopefully_, we won't need to test your powers any further tomorrow...might even make you and Aida-san be strictly on standby..."

"I am _all_ for that," moaned Kensuke.

"...anyhow, the next day will bring its own issues. So you should grab yourself a bite to eat and some shut-eye. It'll be a bright and early day, tomorrow!"

And that was how the three teenagers found themselves in an elevator, on their way up to NERV's cafeteria. The croons of Sinata were apparently still being played by the MAGI, echoing out of the elevator's tinny speakers. "Wish I would be able to sleep in my bed," grumbled Kensuke, scratching irritably at his hair. "Can't I just hail a taxi, or something?"

"It is far more practical for us to spend the night in the barracks," remarked Ayanami. "You would have to come back to NERV in the morning regardless. This will save time."

"...you know, the sad part is, I _totally_ get it from a logistical point of view. Still won't stop me from wishing for my own bed in my own dorm, though."

"That is your prerogative," coolly remarked the blunette. She turned her unnerving gaze towards Shinji. "And what about you, Ikari?"

He blinked dumbly. "...what about me?"

"Do you object?"

"...to what?" Thinking felt _so hard_ right now. He just wanted to get some food and then go to bed. Heck, falling asleep in the elevator didn't sound that bad, right now.

Kensuke chuckled. "Man Ikari, you _are _out of it..."

_Ding._

A new jazz number began right as the elevator doors opened, and their conversation halted. In the face of Gendo Ikari, talking seemed..._wrong._

The distant figure stepped in closer; Kensuke impulsively shied away, while Shinji's eyes impulsively focused on him with laser intensity. Only Ayanami seemed unaffected by his presence. He quietly pressed a button for a higher floor than where the three teens were going. The doors closed, and their ascent continued.

"_**You're a nobody 'til somebody loves you...**_"

The English lyrics were the only thing breaking the oppressive silence.

"_**You're nobody 'til somebody cares...**_"

"I hear you've awakened to a new power." His father's voice cut through the tension like a sword. "Is that correct?"

"...yes," he managed to grit out.

"_**You may be king, you may possess...**_"

"What will you do with it?" the man asked.

"_**...the world and its gold...**_"

"...what do you mean?" he asked, hoping his father would provide some direction. Some guidance. Even a bit of advice. _Something. ANYTHING._

"..._**but gold won't bring you happiness...**_"

Gendo did not answer. Not at first.

"_**...when you're growin' old!**_"

When he did, Shinji almost wished he hadn't. "When the chips are down...I think we both know what decision you'll make."

Kensuke looked like he was on the verge of hyperventilating from the sheer amount of _awkward_ and _yikes_ that had filled the elevator cab. The only sign of Ayanami's interest in the conversation was how she glanced back and forth between father and son, depending on who spoke.

"_**The world still is the same...**_"

"...and what would that be?" he asked, trying to ignore the hissing in the back of his mind.

"_**...you'll never change it.**_"

"What else? In the end...you will run away. I know it. You know it."

"_**As sure as the stars shine above...!**_"

"We _all _know it," finished Gendo with a sense of confident finality.

_Ding._

The lift opened up to the teens' destination.

"_**You're nobody 'til somebody loves you!**_"

Kensuke couldn't get off the elevator fast enough. Ayanami slowly walked out. As for Shinji...he only felt a sense of petulant frustration, and a sudden need to _prove him wrong._ "...I won't run away," he ground out through clenched teeth, slipping past the unmoving form of his father.

"_**Find yourself somebody to love!**_"

As the elevator doors slid to a close, he resisted the urge to turn and look back. As such, all he heard was a smirking response. "We'll see."

The cab shut, and the sounds of Sinatra were cut off. The hallway's silence felt merciful by comparison.

"...holy _**shit**_," breathed Kensuke. "W-What the hell was _that_ all about?!"

"...I believe there are some difficulties between the Commander and his son," quietly remarked Ayanami.

That would have been putting it _extremely _mildly_, _bitterly mused Shinji.

xxxx

Less than two hours later, with bellies full of soup and pork cutlets, Shinji Ikari and Kensuka Aida lied within one of the various rooms that comprised NERV's barracks, utilized by any employees and contractors who either needed a place to crash, or who lacked immediate housing of their own for whatever reason. The room they were in was immediately noticeable as one which had not been used recently, for the drawers and furniture were bare of decoration. The wall-mounted television went unused, for neither of the boys were interested after the day's events. Rei Ayanami was ostensibly in the room next door, because she was a girl, and they were guys. Or so the logic went, according to Kensuke.

The boy sighed, rubbing at the bridge of his nose. "What a day..."

"...are you sure you don't want the bed?"

"Come on Ikari, do we have to go over this again?"

"Sorry..."

"Look, for all that Ayanami manhandled me today..." Kensuke paused. "On second thought, that sounds weird. Ignore that." Clearing his throat, he continued, "anyhow, _you_ managed to get four Archetypes stuffed inside you, turning them into your Personas. You need the bed more than me." He grinned wildly from his position on the rather utilitarian couch. "I don't even know _how_ that's possible."

"...is it really that big a deal...?"

Kicking back, Kensuke replied, "well, as far as anyone is aware, people only have _one_ hidden self. No one's _ever_ had more than one Shadow." He stared curiously in his direction. "...you _sure_ you never encountered a Shadow before awakening your Persona?"

"...pretty sure." It had been a pretty distinctive event, after all. "But apparently, Ayanami and the other Evangelion-user can't do it either..."

"So why _you?_"

_I wish I knew._ "I don't know..."

"Hmm...well, if nothing else, it'll help you kick a _lot_ of ass in the Metaverse. Think of the versatility, and the battle tactics!" Silence. For about seven seconds. Then a _giant _yawn. "...will think about it later."

"...yeah..." Shinji's eyes felt so heavy. He didn't even mind that he'd be falling asleep in his school uniform; it wasn't like they had a change of clothes for them...

Within a matter of minutes, both boys were fast asleep.

xxxx

As the world turned, the last sliver of the Sun's reflected light upon the Moon faded, at least from the perspective of those on Earth.

It was highly paradoxical, in a sense: in the brightness of day, the form of the Moon could not be seen: a sign of the blindness in which foolish creatures labored under. Yet, for one standing upon the Moon, the entire surface facing the Earth was shrouded in shadow: a reflection of the darkness in men's hearts.

At this time, the Sun was no longer obstructing the fullness of his vision.

Thus, from betwixt the threshold that separated realities, a distorted skull gazed upon the Earth. Everywhere he looked, the spirits themselves were agitated, aroused by the movements of his brethren.

And yet...there was something different. Two weights upon the unseen void had been joined by a third.

"_**A THIRD CHILD HAS AWOKEN.**_"

The skull's gaze flared, blazing like red stars.

"_**WHERE ART THOU, CHAMPION OF LILITH?**_"

His word echoed across the ether, causing a ripple that brushed against all of his brethren.

"_**FIND HIM.**_"

And so the world continued to turn.

xxxx

**END OF 6/15/2020**

xxxx

/story event incoming


	13. Tuesday - June 16, 2015: Part 1

_Sokila grimaced._

_"You'll be okay, won't you?"_

_Why did she look so worried?_

_"I mean, you'll be fine...you have to be fine..."_

_She stepped closer, looking at him with pleading yellow eyes._

_"Please take care of yourself, okay?"_

_The faint haze of blue began to brighten-_

xxxx

/Tuesday: June 16, 2020/

/Barracks, NERV/

_BAM!_

Shinji Ikari yelped with shock at the sound, loud as a gunshot and quick as a whip. Kensuke Aida erupted into action, swinging wildly at the air and bravely headbutting the floor with his face.

Misato Katsuragi stood at attention, looking _way _too alert. "Rise and shine boys!"

"...what...what time is it?" he wearily asked.

"Oh-six-hundred! Ayanami's already deployed; might as well get you two in uniform and into the field!"

"Boy," groused Kensuke, haphazardly reaching for his eyeglasses. "You guys just live by the 'throw em' into the deep end' method of training, don't you?"

"When you've got me as a life guard, there's no better method!" she said, not deterred in the slightest by the boy's pessimism. "Let's grab breakfast, and then get you geared up!"

xxxx

/Room 23, 2nd floor, Izanagi Dorm, Hakone Academy/

Toji Suzuhara quietly dressed himself, not really paying much attention. Ikari and Ken hadn't come back the previous night, which meant they were dealing with NERV stuff. That was fine by him.

As for Nagisa? He was sleeping, like he always did during the new moon. No matter how often the others had tried to cajole him into moving, the guy just would not budge.

(The silver-haired boy smiled brightly. "I call it _extensive_ meditation. It keeps me nice and safe from Angel Syndrome!" When pressed for more details, he added, "well, I haven't been attacked _yet_, have I?")

Nagisa's alleged track record at avoiding supernatural horrors aside, Toji didn't feel like waiting in the dorm room all day. Besides...he had prior arrangements. _This has been long overdue._

It was time to pay his respects to Kenji Tomochika.

xxxx

"Agent Misato Katsuragi, identification zero-one-whiskey-alpha-four: activate cognitive tunneling."

"**Cognitive tunneling: authorized.**"

_zhuu_

_zhuu_

_ZHUU_

_**ZHUU**_

When entering the Metaverse, Shinji Ikari wondered what - if anything - would change as a result of the new moon. As Hamlet, Ozymandias, and Tokoyo manifested in bursts of blue fire, he tried really hard to notice any differences.

At first, the overall atmosphere - the sepia colors, the staticky sky of red and black, the smoky and angular wisps floating through the air, the orange roots sprawling throughout the landscape - didn't seem that different...that is, until he focused. "...where are all the Archetypes?" Compared to before, the cognitive city seemed positively _empty_. "What...?"

"Well, by now, everyone's aware of the deal with regards to what we do on the new moon...so people's thoughts react appropriately," answered Misato, gazing stoically around. "If we went to the shelters, or to other religious sites, you'd find Archetypes gathered out the wazoo. But I don't have that shift this time; _we're_ on patrol duty."

"...patrolling for what?" asked Kensuke.

"Well, if we see panicking Archetypes generate in places they're not _expected_ to be, that's generally a sign that something's going down in the real world. If that happens...it usually means there's a Ghost. But if someone's _Shadow_ gets tagged, then it'll mean an Acolyte." She pointed up at the domineering form of the Tokyo-3 Cognitive Protection Center. "That's another reason why we've tried to get as many Shadows within that place as possible."

"For their safety?" remarked Shinji.

Misato nodded. "That big ol' sphere has no equivalent location in the real world, so _nothing_ that happens in the sky will affect it. And, in the unfortunate event that someone in the real world has an incident, their Shadow will be confined to their cell, thus minimizing the cognitive collateral damage." She grimaced, recalling something unpleasant. "Granted, Acolytes can vary in terms of strength, so sometimes the number of Agents needed is more than usual...but hey, that's part of the job, neh?"

"Efficient _and_ practical," mused Kensuke; every so often, he glanced at Misato's own uniform, as though comparing it to his own. "...so, where will we patrol? And..." The boy's voice trailed off, eyes widening behind his glasses. "...what was that?"

Shinji followed Aida's vision; a strange bolt of vague..._nothingness_...had slipped through the bands of red and black in the sky, deadening the air around it as it moved. It slammed into the middle of a distant street, crackling with and seething with a sense of _wrongness._ However, there was nothing there; in a matter of moments, it faded. "What...?"

"We only ever see those..._things_...during a new moon. Or a solar eclipse, but...well, during an eclipse, they're _really_ obvious." Misato grimaced, briefly thumbing her cross necklace. "We've never been able to find out where they come from or _what_ they are. Most people think it has something to do with Angel Syndrome, and we've drawn a correlation between their impacts in the cognitive world and strange happenings in the real world...but their randomness and our lack of knowledge about their origin? Well, we can only speculate." She sighed heavily. "Theory's never been my forte."

Shinji watched quietly as another stream of ethereal emptiness lanced downward, striking a building that appeared to be empty. Once again, it faded, with nothing of note happening afterwards. "...so...what now?"

"Now?" A trio of Ocular Drones descended from the sky, slowing to a hovering halt besides the roof. "Now...we _patrol_. Hop on a Drone, kids! I'll clue you in as to what we usually look for."

xxxx

/Eastern Shores of Lake Ashi, Tokyo-3/

For the first time that Toji Suzuhara could recall since the incident, the shores of Lake Ashi were bereft of local law enforcement. Only sensible, since their focus would be where the people were gathered today.

It had been...a normal day, in retrospect. A Monday afternoon after school, on May the 25th. A waxing gibbous moon had been rising in the sky.

("Ah, the glory of basking in the springtime of our youth!" exclaimed Tomochika, gesturing at the various people frolicking along the shoreline. "I'm going to practice my pick-up lines. Don't hold back in your critique!")

"You always were about the ladies," he grumbled. A lazy wind blew across the lake, creating hypnotic ripples. There was not a cloud in the sky, so peacefully blue that it was almost irritating in its serenity. "It could get kind of irritating at times..." But that had kind of been the point, ultimately. Tomochika had been...

(He quietly brushed his sister's hair, trying not to disturb her slumber. "First year of junior high school's over and done with. Still managing to maintain my grades, somehow. I've had a bunch of help..." The quiet _beep-beep_ of various machines filled the somber silence of the hospital room.)

...normal. A more boring, stereotypical kind of normal than Ken's nerdy kind of normal, which had occasional bouts of weirdness. And Nagisa...well, he and 'normal' weren't even in the same prefecture. "You had no idea just how much hanging out with you kept me sane," he spoke to the open air, staring intently at the _spot_. The spot where it had all gone down. "Just by being a guy, with all the attitude and stereotypes that people like the Class Rep loved to _complain_ about...I felt like I was a boring bystander in a high school anime." The jock huffed, sitting down on the grass, mere feet away from where the ground transitioned to damp sand. "Heh...bet you would have laughed and called me a wuss for thinking that way. You'd be right..."

The weather that afternoon had been just as perfect, thinking back...

xxxx

_There had been no warning. Such was the danger of Angel Syndrome, which struck with such precise cruelty._

_A man and a woman suddenly paused, entirely separate from the group that Tomochika was mingling with. Their bodies went taut...and then the massacre began._

_From his vantage point, Toji watched in horror as they acted with otherworldly strength, breaking bones with fists and gouging skin with their fingers. People, naturally, began to panic immediately. Distant sirens and whistles sounded, drawing emergency response to the beach. But who knew how many would die before the Anti-Terror Task Force arrived?_

Do something. Run. Help. Get people away. Do SOMETHING!

_Yet Toji's self-recriminations went unanswered, rooted in place as he was. The vague fear of death, always present, was clear as crystal, and unbearably real. Even as the woman turned her berserk gaze his way, the sheer truth of his impending doom kept him from running._

_That's why he was so shocked by the sudden vertigo, as leaden legs went flailing upward. He landed in a heap, courtesy of a shove from a panicked Tomochika. "Come on man, RUN-!"_

_His friend's yell was cut off, courtesy of a downward hammer blow from the berserk woman. The boy gasped in agony as he fell, even as the furious beauty raised her fists again._

_He turned away and fled, running as fast as he could. He ran past the A.T. Agents arriving to subdue the afflicted individuals; he ran past the police setting up a cordon along the public recreational area; he kept on running, until grass gave way to concrete sidewalks. It was only when his feet began to hurt that he stopped, wincing at the soreness._

_That soreness was a reminder that he was alive._

_Alive...and Tomochika was...was..._

Suzahara, you shitty COWARD...!

xxxx

...completely perfect weather. Twenty-one people had died that day. Kenji Tomochika had been among them. "But people dyin' from Angel Syndrome is normal, too..." A horrible kind of normal. Who wanted to get used to people going crazy out of the blue? Who wanted to ever get used to the idea that you could suddenly become a crazed murderer, condemned to be put down like a deranged beast? Yet, there were still people who tried to live life in the face of that. Tomochika had been one of them. "...it's not fair," he growled, rising back to his feet. The tension within his chest, slowly but surely building over the past weeks, finally demanded to be set free. "IT'S **NOT **_**FAIR!**_" His voice echoed across the lake, rebounding faintly in his ears. Small mercy, that no one was around to hear him. "...but life ain't fair, is it?" he muttered, sitting back down on the grass. "You'd know that better than anyone, right...?"

Tomochika wasn't there to shoot the breeze, or to make a potentially sleazy joke in response. He wasn't there to do anything. Talking to the open air, as if his friend were still there, was nothing but a crutch.

Toji did it anyway; for the first time in weeks, he felt some semblance of relief.

xxxx

Within the Metaverse, the trio of Ocular Drones carrying Misato Katsuragi, Shinji Ikari, and Kensuke Aida flew in a tight formation, keeping on the lookout for anything anomalous. As the A.T. Agent had previously stated, they could see distant places where Archetypes were gathered in significant clusters, a sign of where people were gathered in the real world. Shinji would have expected that some of the strange bolts of nothingness would have landed on them by now...but they seemed to curve around? "What's happening...?"

"Believe it or not, there's some benefit to gathering in holy places or in places of protection," explained Misato, keeping a calm grip upon her Persona. "I've tried talking to Ritsuko about it, but she throws out a bunch of babble about _A.T. Fields oriented on a particular spiritual vector_, or stuff like that."

"That actually sounds like useful info!" yelled Kensuke.

"Well, I'm sure by the end of _your _internship, Ritsky will have a bunch of metaphysical biology crammed into your head!"

"Oh come on, _more book work?!_"

Kensuke was very good at filling the air with rambunctious banter. It had the side effect of lowering the tension, even as he watched the nothingness continue to fall from the sky.

One landed near the eastern shores of Lake Ashi, sizzling menacingly near the shores of orange liquid...

xxxx

The change was subtle; a sudden tension, sprouting from within his very heart. There was no warning.

Toji Suzuhara paled, and he didn't know why. "What...?" Then, reality caught up with what his soul had already begun to sense.

Flickering sparks of transparent blue arose, coalescing into brighter tongues of fire, which began to take definition, and shape...

xxxx

Misato's eagle eyes caught it before anyone else. "Look alive, boys! Ten o'clock, down!"

Shinji blinked. "Ten o'clock-?"

"To your left, Ikari!" yelled Aida. "On the shoreline!"

Shinji did so, looking down; eyes widened at the sight of Archetypes literally spawning from amidst the hazy vagueness. Little blue imps in jars, green slimes, and gleaming humanoids with fiery feet fled, their entire forms wracked with panic. "...what's happening-?"

"I don't see any Shadow. Something's happening in the real world." Misato's voice lacked all playfulness, and was now all business. "Let's get to ground and transition back-"

xxxx

Toji's eyes went wide at the sight before him: various humanoid wisps of spectral flames, wracked with palpable agony and undeniable fury.

Documentaries never quite got across just how otherworldly the Ghosts were...nor did they truly get across just how _furious _they looked, with their blazing red eyes.

On some level, he thought it was quite appropriate that one of them looked like Tomochika. _Perhaps this is my just desserts?_

Alas, he could only mutter. "_Shit_..." Somehow, that got across the entirety of his frustration, fear, and resignation.

xxxx

Shinji Ikari frowned, feeling a strange whisper within the core of his being. '_Just desserts'...? _What was pulling at him? And that voice...Toji Suzuhara? _Suzuhara-san?!_

xxxx

_Two voices spoke in unison: his own, and the monstrous Beast._

_"__**You've been given the key.**__"_

_There was a sense of knowing._

_"__**Are you capable of acting?**__"_

_A sense of...purpose._

_"__**Will you choose?**__"_

xxxx

Without saying anything, Hamlet grabbed Shinji and _leapt_, shooting down like a rocket towards the shoreline.

"SHINJI-KUN?!"

"IKARI!"

Misato and Kensuke's shouts went ignored, as his mind became consumed by a singular motivation. Ayanami's words faintly echoed in the back of his mind, guiding him.

("Ponder the pattern that your thoughts carve. Sense the boundaries of your soul, the define you in relation to others.")

But once he emerged, things would be different; in the real world, his Persona would not be there.

("Personas are unable to manifest in our physical reality..." explained Dr. Ritsuko Akagi, on the first day after his arrival in Tokyo-3. "The fusion of mind and soul, the embodiment of Persona and Spirit..._that_, Shinji Ikari, is what we call _**Evangelion**_.")

This would not be a spar. This would be for real, just like on the train...

("You simply need to remember, and hold on tight to whatever may come. If you do not control it, you will be devoured...either here, or in the battles to come. It wants to break free. But for there to be control, you must accept the pain that comes with letting it out. Take hold, and _set it free._")

...somehow, that stark reality was comforting. He had to act, or perish...and somehow, the fact that it was for Suzuhara's sake made it easier, as compared to simply fighting for himself.

Reality started shifting, as the surreal colors of the Metaverse began to fade from his mind's eye...

xxxx

Toji honestly thought he was going to die. Part of him was even okay with it. It would have been like balancing the scales, or something like that. The rest of him wanted to rant and scream and cry about the sheer _unfairness of it all._

Then, as if his day hadn't gone crazy _enough_, a boy literally _phased into existence_ in the sky, falling towards his position. "What the...?" A very _familiar_ boy. "..._Ikari?!_" _WHAT THE HELL?!_

Blue flames began to flicker around Ikari's falling form, even as his eyes turned..._yellow_...wait, _why was Ikari digging into his friggin' FACE-?!_

"Come forth...SHOGOKI!"

Then he somehow pulled a _purple monster_ out of his face and it was about that point where reality stopped making sense. "...wha..._huh_...?"

The Ghosts backed away right as Ikari landed, standing atop the shoulders of the violet beast; the very air thrummed and tensed with azure flames, seething from the furied specters and the strange creature. Ikari was wearing some weird-looking bodysuit, and that was honestly the _least _strange thing about this whole mess. "...I...Ikari...?" Then he turned back towards him, and Toji wished he hadn't.

Yellow eyes stared back, blaring with intensity that _did not fit _the meek boy that had taken Tomochika's spot in their dorm. "...get out of here," he growled.

As if given permission, Toji turned and fled, running away with all his might. The utter ridiculousness that he was leaving Shinji Ikari - of all people! - to stay and fight continued to linger. _Guess running is all I'm good at..._

xxxx

Shinji Ikari tried not to gulp as the wraiths began to swirl about him. _So...these are what Ghosts are really like..._

(The specter looked like it had shoulder-length hair, which was an _odd_ detail to focus on. The last thing he noticed before running away was his sad expression...)

From a distance, they had appeared almost stereotypically benign. However, their death toll could not be doubted.

(A civil war in a distant Russian province had spilled over into an area stricken by Angel Syndrome. The newscaster spoke solemnly as censored footage played behind him, showcasing azure wraiths descending upon the surprised beligerents...)

And yet he here was, clad in the strange blue bodysuit, with eyes shining yellow; beside him, the bestial Shogoki snarled.

"_**Feckless remnants, slaves to a wicked design!**_"

There was something about the Ghosts made him sad and angry in equal measure.

"_**Reminders of what has been lost; memories of those who have been taken!**_"

The Beast raised its fists in challenge to the specters, which began to slip in and out of the ground; immaterial as they were, physical objects could not constrain their movements. Yet they could strike at his soul without issue.

So long as his Evangelion stood, would his soul be safe?

As though the universe had decided to answer his question, a Ghost erupted from beneath the groud, spearing through his body with an ethereal shriek. He expected a sharp pain, or an immediate cessation of life...but instead, he still remained standing, blinking dumbly.

Apparently, Dr. Akagi's words about Evangelion being the 'fusion of mind and soul' had been quite literally. _Wait, how am I standing then? How am I even __**thinking**_-_?!_

The Ghosts hissed, turning their ire towards Shogoki.

"_**Bring your rage, undead spirits! Eternal rest awaits!**_"

The specter bearing Tomochika's face - not that Shinji was aware - was smashed with a hard right hook by the Evangelion. Two other Ghosts latched onto Shogoki's shoulders from behind, only to be _yanked_ off by titanic hands. The blue wraiths - number over a dozen at least - swirled around the violet creature like a maelstrom, smashing into its form. Orange octagons flared with each impact; each blow elicited a subtle pain from the core of Shinji's very being, every strike evoked a dull ache from the top of his spine. It was a sign that he was not invincible, that the Ghosts could still bring him down if they brought down Shogoki.

_Mind and soul...Persona and spirit_, dully thought Shinji, standing with eerie calm amidst the belligerent spirits. _Not just my soul...but my other self as well...?_

_His other self smiled._

_"__**It is not just me, anymore...**__"_

_His newer...selves...?_

_"__**You have chosen to take upon yourself more facets of humanity.**__"_

_...that was right..._

_"__**They are yours to wield, so long as you still retain the strength to **__**stand**__**."**_

Shinji reached deep within, for those he had bound himself to: the image of a musical horse-man arose from deep down. "...Agi."

Shogoki's eyes flashed, and it lashed out with an open palm. Orange light coalesced around a particular Ghost, before _erupting_ in a flash of soulfire. The target wailed in shock, fading away with deceptive peacefulness.

The other Ghosts snarled, their unnatural anger still pushing them to attack.

The same horse-man played a serene song within Shinji's heart. "Media."

Spectral green light flared from Shogoki's eyes and mouth, and its presence became hardier; the vague pains that had built up within Shinji also vanished. With a thought, he called upon another: a talkative cat with a swift blade. "Cleave!"

With renewed vigor, Shogoki returned to the conflict, an orange blade of sharpened soul manifesting around its right hand.

xxxx

The Angel observed in solitude, from the realm in-between.

In the passage of fate, there were threads that were close by: a frightened youth, running for all his worth; a plainclothes officer, patrolling near the lake, drawn by distant screams and faint flickers of blue; an experienced woman and a neophyte boy in the realm of lilim minds; and, most notably, a presence which weighed upon existence itself, even more so than that of the First and Second Children.

Such a presence deserved only to be cut down, before it could reach its prime.

The first attempt had been too subtle, too reliant on the unpredictable savagery of the human mind to cut down the fledgling warrior.

(A portal had been forcefully opened by the impetuous youth; after dragging the Third Child in with him, a minor manifestation was all that was needed to cut the television's cord in twain. Now, they were trapped in the lilim's cognitive world, sure to be devoured.)

Alas, trepidation regarding the First Child's presence in the city - how experienced a warrior was she! - stayed their hand from anything more overt. The potential of a brutal response from the fledgling had also been a fear, for his wild rage had been enough to cripple Sachiel.

Sachiel: the first of their kin in an age to perish.

And yet, the Voice from Luna had been insistent: find the Third Child.

And so they would; in doing so, they would cut down this aspiring Champion, and damn the lilim to another age of doom and despair.

They deserved nothing less.

_sssh_

_sssh_

_SSSH_

_**SSSH**_

But first...it was time to tie these threads together, into a singular convergence.

With a supreme act of will, the Angel extended itself through time and space, mind and matter, dream and reality.

xxxx

/The Cognitive Protection Center, Tokyo-3, the Metaverse/

It was a sudden alert that caught Goro Akechi's attention; a message from the A.T. Agents who were staffing the Panopticon notifying that one of the cells had suddenly gone empty. The vacancy was tied to that of Resident Alpha-Foxtrot-One-One-Nine-Epsilon.

The Chief Warden reviewed the information with disquiet; the Shadow belonged to one of Tokyo-3's law enforcement officers, one Noboru Hanamura. His Shadow hadn't broken out, and there was no sign of outward intrusion into his cell. _What could this mean...?_

Moments later, one of the various Ocular Drones on patrol found the Shadow's location, perplexing him even further. "What?"

xxxx

/Hakonesono Fujiashinoko Panorama Park, Near the Eastern Shores of Lake Ashi, Tokyo-3/

Toji Suzuhara turned the dirt trail and nearly bowled someone over. "Shit man, sorry-!"

"Hold it there," admonished the stern looking man, flashing a police officer's badge with practiced ease. "Private Hanamura, with Tokyo-3 Community Safety. What's a kid like you doing out here by himself _today_ of all days-?"

"G-Ghosts," he muttered, trying to order his thoughts, because _hell he had left Ikari behind like a coward!_ "Someone's...fighting them-!"

The officer paled. "Damn it, need to call this in-" At that very instant, his breath caught in his throat. "_Grk!_"

The sudden change of motion caused Toji to look up into the officer's eyes. "Sir...?" He instinctively began to back away from the man, who had gone so unnervingly - _familiarly _\- tense. "...sir...?!"

xxxx

/Eastern Shores of Lake Ashi, the Metaverse/

The sight of warrior Archetypes emerging into existence - icons of stalwart strength and combat - from the vague haze was a sign of encouragement for Misato Katsuragi. "No sense of panic...he must be holding his own..."

"...aren't we gonna go back?" asked Kensuke Aida, apparently trying to decide whether or not he should geek out about the current turn of events. "Won't Ikari need our help?"

"Judging by the Archetypes his thoughts are generating, maybe not. Still, we need to observe...hold up." Misato paused, thumbing her A.T. Agent badge with concern. "Copy that Akechi, repeat?" Concern gave way to confusion. "What?" Confusion gave way to alarm. "_How?_"

A worm of worry wiggled through Kensuke's guts. "Uh...what's going on?"

"Nothing good, that's what," she snarled, looking upward into the technicolor sky; sure enough, Ocular Drones were beginning to converge at the cognitive double of Panorama Park. "Come on, we need to investigate!" She and her Persona quickly took off running.

"But what about Ikari?!"

"He'll have to hold his own for now!"

"_**It is time to test our limits,**_" sagely advised Ozymandias.

"Yeah...I guess it is," said Kensuke with a gulp, following the woman alongside his Persona.

xxxx

/Eastern Shores of Lake Ashi, Tokyo-3/

The last Ghost bore the image of Kenji Tomochika; ignorant of this, Shinji Ikari felt only a grim resolve as his Evangelion's fist smashed into his face. If nothing else, there was a brief sense of consolation as the being faded away, bearing a faint smile.

Wisps of ethereal energy were slowly dissipating from the beach, a sign that the presence of the Ghosts was fading. The violet monster's body still thrummed with tension, but was beginning to visibly calm now that the battle had ended. "...it's...over...?" he breathed, somewhat hopeful.

At that precise moment, his NERV-issued cell phone buzzed.

With a spot of panic, he patted himself down - _where did his pockets go?! _\- only to feel a hard satchel along the small of his back. Opening it up, he felt for his phone - _seriously, why did the stuff in his pockets move there?_ \- and looked at the screen.

**PATTERN BLUE DETECTED  
PRELIMINARY LOCATION: FUJIASHINOKO PANORAMA PARK**

"...a Pattern Blue?" The warnings beaten into his head by Misato Katsuragi and Rei Ayanami elicited a brief twinge of fear. "An Acolyte..." He slowly turned, looking towards the distant public recreation areas with dawning apprehension. "...Suzuhara-san!" He took a step-

Water splashed behind him. Something firm yet alien, unyielding and unreal, wrapped around his and Shogoki's necks. With a surprised scream, both boy and Evangelion were yanked backwards, dragging them into - nay, _through_ \- the waters of Lake Ashi, into a dark abyss that did not belong on Earth.

Void gave way to something else, as he was pulled deeper and deeper towards something fierce.

"_**Thy end has been decreed, childe of Lilith,**_" it promised with cold finality.

xxxx

**TO BE CONTINUED**

xxxx

/cliffhanger!


	14. Tuesday - June 16, 2015: Part 2

_"Mister Igor?"_

_"What is it, Sokila?"_

_"...um...well..."_

_"Feel free to speak your mind, child."_

_"...did any of your other 'Tendants feel this way?"_

_The bizarre man chuckled knowingly. "Indeed; as their bonds grew closer with the Wild Card, so too did their anxiety over their fate."_

_"...I don't like it...it hurts inside..." The young girl fidgeted. "Not knowin' if he's gonna be okay..."_

_"Such is the cost of an ironclad bond. And yet, I believe you'll find it quite worthwhile, my dear."_

xxxx

/Russia/

Rei Ayanami had been deployed to a distant region of eastern Russia - the outskirts of a city called Magadan, she vaguely recalled - due to a recent uptick of Acolytes within the past month. It was yet another battle as part of a civil war between various parties - the Russian government, the Free Republic of Sakha, the self-declared Magadan Republic, the self-declared Siberian Autonomous Region, and other smaller polities - which had lasted well over a decade now. The details were insignificant to her, and ultimately unimportant; it was yet another conflict between man and man, superfluous to what was truly important in her eyes.

Yet this was where she was told to go, and so she obeyed, for their need was still great, in light of how many had died.

She slipped through the different realities, passing through cognitive and physical and spiritual barriers, striking down Ghosts and dealing heavy blows against Acolytes in and out of the Metaverse. Remnant Ghosts would be dealt with by the Orthodox Military Priests, while the Acolytes - now softened up - could be finished by the local A.T. Task Force. However, her focus was on a distant figure, hovering over the Kolyma Mountains to the north: a blue, crystalline octahedron, flickering in and out of her metaphysical perception. _What are you watching?_ Her hand flashed orange, pulverizing a spectral figure while Zerogoki stomped on another one. _Why are you standing out so clearly?_ She shifted into the Metaverse, smelling of gunsmoke and bearing large gravestones around the city's cognitive double; she and Lillith delivered a combination blow to a hulking Shadow, before shifting back into the real world. _What has changed?_

There was a challenge in response, a mere whisper against her soul.

"**_A new Champion of Lilith has arisen. His mettle shall be tried._**"

Rei Ayanami frowned, knowing in the pit of her being what this meant. "...Ikari." Was an Angel attacking Tokyo-3, even now? "Have they decided to become more overt?"

"**_The Third Child is unique. You could be ignored, but he cannot. Why? We must know._**"

The blue crystal calmly receded, and Ayanami could not help but grimace. "...what poor timing."

_The Beast whispered, wracked with agony._

_"__**Will our goal be ruined before its consummation?**__"_

_The Despair was never absent._

_"__**Will salvation be denied?**__"_

"...I can only hope," she remarked, turning back to the spectral remains of fallen soldiers, and the altered Shadows rampaging through the cognitive world. "I cannot provide aid until my mission is complete...and the Second Child is likewise occupied..."

xxxx

/Greenland/

Within the Metaverse, much of the island had been pockmarked by great voids and shadowy spheres since the solar eclipse of 2003, rendering much of it uninhabitable by humans.

Amidst this barren waste, a chase that had been ongoing since Iceland continued.

"YOU **_VERDAMMT_** BASTARDS!" roared an irate redhead, standing atop the shoulders of a crimson titan. Far ahead, a duo of limber humanoids - giants, moving about as though prancing - flickered in and out of existence, staying just out of her reach. "YOU'RE GONNA PAY FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE!"

_The Beast snarled, gleeful at her rage._

_"__**They think they're so clever, sneaking about all this time...**__"_

_The Rage was always burning._

_"__**Bring them down, make them feel the pain of thy soul!**__"_

"GET BACK HERE AND FIGHT ME LIKE A MONSTER WORTH A **_SCHEIßE_**!" she roared.

And so the chase continued.

xxxx

/Russia/

Rei sighed, letting loose all of her tension with one breath. "...we will do what we must..." With weary resolve, she charged back into the fray. _Please wait, Ikari. I will return as soon as I am able._

xxxx

/Hakonesono Fujiashinoko Panorama Park, Near the Eastern Shores of Lake Ashi, Tokyo-3/

Toji Suzuhara couldn't believe just how _rotten _his luck was. "Come on..." Private Noboru Hanamura's eyes had taken on a very _familiar_ expression of thinly veiled hatred and rage. "...not only Ghosts...not only Ikari popping up out of the friggin' sky...but an Acolyte _too_...?" He couldn't catch a break. Not a one. "...take it easy..." He wanted to run. Oh, how so _badly_ he wanted to run. Yet he feared taking his eyes off of the man, for he still had yet to move. "...what are ya _waiting _for?" _Don't taunt it, don't taunt it, don't taunt it!_ "Just...hold on..."

Why hadn't the guy started chasing him?

xxxx

/Hakonesono Fujiashinoko Panorama Park, Near the Eastern Shores of Lake Ashi, the Metaverse/

"Hopefully you've bought some time," murmured Misato Katsuragi, staring at the hulking Shadow of Noboru Hanamura: a giant English letter 'Z' was imprinted upon the giant's face.

_Hope is maybe putting it a little strongly_, thought a worried Kensuke Aida; his Persona, Ozymandias, held his shepherd's crook up high, keeping the sleep spell **_Dormina _**in effect. For how long, he had _no _earthly idea. "...so..." He briefly gazed around the park's cognitive double; a perpetually pleasant breeze blew through, along with holograms of dogs being walked; the immaculately cut grass glowed as though it was under everlasting sunshine, a sign of the idyllic nature that the place had in the minds of people who came to relax. So of _course _this would be the place an Acolyte's Shadow ended up! "...what now?"

"We keep it in place long enough for backup to arrive," advised Misato, even while her gaze focused worryingly on the trail of panicked Archetypes, slowly spawning and moving away from the corrupted Shadow. "...can't exactly spare time to see who's causing _that_ though."

"...are we gonna let whoever it is...well..." Kensuke didn't want to say it. "...die?" But he had to.

The woman's scowl answered plenty. "...keeping the Acolyte's Shadow at bay within the Metaverse takes precedence. Hopefully, reinforcements will get there in reality...but sometimes, we can't save em' all."

Kensuke frowned, knowing full well from his mother's story that casualties were almost guaranteed. It did nothing for the distaste curdling in his gut.

"**_Reinforcements, you say?_**"

A _familiar _voice prompted him to look to his left; stepping out from amidst the trees was an individual he had yet to forget. "Mister P?!"

_That_ name prompted Misato to actually take her eyes off of the Acolyte; Tokoyo, whose blades had been aimed cautiously at the creature, immediately turned towards the well-dressed bird-man. "So _you're _the mysterious Mister P." She briefly blinked with bewilderment. "...why am I getting the strangest feeling of _deja vu_...?"

The mohawked bird-man chuckled, flexing in place as his face _twinkled_ with stars. "**_Well, if you need reinforcements, then look no further!_**" His sparkling green eyes somehow communicated a deadly seriousness. "**_That is, unless you want the Suzuhara boy to perish._**"

That in and of itself caused Kensuke to pale. "...wait, _Toji_...?" His brain suddenly began to run, and he finally recognized just _where_ they were near geographically. "We're near Lake Ashi...is this the place where...?" He gazed towards the orange lake with sudden fear. "Aw no, he _wouldn't_...of all times, he had to pick today...!"

"What are you talking about?!" ordered Katsuragi, still not taking her eyes off of Mister P.

"O-Our old roommate, before Ikari...his name was Kenji Tomochika. A few weeks ago, he died to an Acolyte right near here!" Toji had been in such a funk, unable to truly grieve like he _knew_ the boy wanted to. It would just be like him to take a risk for the sake of getting closure. _Damn it Toji, you idiot! _"Katsuragi-san, we have to save him-!"

"...shit," cursed the woman, looking back towards the Acolyte's Shadow with frustration. The giant Z was beginning to flicker; the Shadow would begin rampaging again before long. The real Hanamura would also begin to act appropriately. "Shit shit _shit shit __**shit!**_"

"**_Leave the boy with me, and you can return to the real world to offer your protection to the young lad._**" The bird-man's eyes flashed yellow; in a blaze of blue fire, his Persona Gryphon emerged in the air above him. "**_I'll assist him in taking down the Acolyte._**"

"And what's stopping you from helping Suzuhara yourself?" demanded Katsuragi. "You've got a Persona, which means you're someone from the real world..."

"**_Alas, in spite of my magnificent appearance, I am much less physically inclined in reality than you are._**" The edges of the bird-man's beak impossibly curled up into a wry smile. "**_I can guarantee you _****that ****_much._**"

Time was of the essence. "Aida-san...do you _trust _him?"

Kensuke decided to opt for Ikari's normal approach of blatantly brutal honesty. "Well, he helped me with my Shadow. That counts for something, doesn't it?"

"...not what I _asked_, but fine." Misato thumbed her Anti-Terror Task Force medallion, glaring angrily at the bird-man. "If anything happens to the kid, your ass is _mine_, you hear me?!"

"**_I'd expect nothing less!_**"

"Good." Without hesitation, her Persona quickly intoned **_Heat Riser _**twice; a quarter of colors erupted around both Mister P _and_ Kensuke, empowering them both. "Agent Misato Katsuragi, identification zero-one-whiskey-alpha-four: initiate cognitive evacuation!"

"**Cognitive evacuation: authorized.**"

It was at that moment that the glowing 'Z' faded from the face of Hanamura's Shadow, unveiling the blank avian mask upon his face.

xxxx

In the real world, Toji had managed to back away from Noboru Hanamura by about forty feet when the shift happened.

The Acolyte suddenly snarled, and _burst forward_.

"DAMN-!" yelled Toji, turning to run with all his might-!

xxxx

Misato Katsuragi's Persona vanished - her self-image as an A.T. Agent giving way to her real clothing - right as she began transitioning back into the real world.

**_ZHUU_**

Her last image was of the bizarre bird-man shouting "**_MIRACLE PUNCH!_**", manifesting a golden boxing glove that smashed into the Shadow's face.

_ZHUU_

She had to be ready to act at an instant.

_zhuu_

Her muscles went tense, as her right hand reached into one of the holsters inside her red jacket.

_zhuu_

She was ready.

xxxx

Toji blanched as a purple-haired woman phased into reality right in front of him. "The _hell-?!_"

The woman slung her right hand forward, flinging a knife at the enraged Acolyte. Judging by the speed, it should have pierced the skin easily.

It barely knicked the man's shoulder, not even digging a centimeter into skin which was now unnaturally tough. However, that contact was enough for the knife - its black handle suddenly thrumming with energy - to discharge an electric pulse into the Acolyte. The muscles briefly seized, but it wouldn't last but a few seconds.

The woman immediately followed up by grabbing something within her jacket's pocket, lobbing it with her left hand. "HURRY UP!" she yelled, grabbing him by the wrist with her right hand and immediately _booking it_.

Toji barely took in the sight of what she had thrown - _a friggin' grenade?! _\- before instinct and the need to keep from falling forced his legs to move. He quickly matched the lady's pace; they were about sixty feet away when the incendiary grenade erupted in a burst of fire. He couldn't help but look over his shoulder.

Out of the firestorm came the Acolyte like a beast from hell; despite the charred hair and clothes which had been mostly incinerated, the man barely had a scratch on him.

_Acolytes are such BULLSHIT!_ Toji turned back and ran even _faster_.

xxxx

Further and further, Shinji Ikari and his Evangelion were dragged into a strange un-reality: triangles twisted into sinews that spanned gray waters, which flowed in an unsettling manner. The very movement didn't fit, as though expecting water, when it actually sloshed about like a strange mixture of syrup and gelatin and air. It didn't _fit_.

Haphazard pictures of the sun flashed by, mere copies of photos of faded paintings, mere imitations of the real thing, a mockery. The hovered amidst sideways cities, which curled inward to a vanishing point far along the various horizons. Looking around _hurt_.

"**_And so we meet._**"

Sudden deceleration, as Shinji smashed into an unexpected floor. An impulsive gasp of pain slipped past his throat, sourced less from shock and more from something deep within his spirit. "Ow..." Shogoki - its very form seething with blue fire - scrambled to its feet, snarling at...some strange creature.

It was a giant wyrm, over twenty meters tall, colored a deep purple; the head - somewhat triangular in shape - was tilted over, showing large, blank eyespots on the hide. Most distinctive, however, was the mask of bone affixed to the top of the head: a featureless _noh_ mask, save for the long and pointy beak extending downward. It seemed to be staring at him. Or glaring.

Yes, definitely glaring, even if the eyes were perfect circles.

"...what...?" Shinji wearily stood up, not quite sure how to interact with this...thing. It definitely wasn't a Ghost, and it didn't have the same air as an Archetype, or a Persona. "What..._are_ you...?"

The creature had no mouth, and yet it spoke regardless; the air flickered with orange and red light with each word spoken.

"**_I am Shamshel. Your kind have called my kin _****Angels****_._**"

"...Angels...?" The very word struck a chord.

Shogoki hissed with utter _fury_.

"**_The monster in the proverbial flesh!_**"

"Are...are _you_ responsible for Angel Syndrome...?" The current state of the world; the lives lost; the scars wrought by the Acolytes in the Metaverse; the wrath of the Ghosts; _all _of it. "...how..._why_...?"

"**_The reasons matter not to an ant. You deserve naught but to be washed away for thy transgressions._**"

"**_A wretched beast, worthy only of death!_**"

"**_Childe of Lilith; third Champion to arise; damnation awaits thee._**"

The gauntlet had been thrown, and there was no offer to negotiation. All that remained was life...or death. "I..."

xxxx

_"...the whole world can witness us..." He turned back, towards...someone._

_He couldn't quite place it._

xxxx

His right hand trembled. "...I..."

xxxx

_Another place. Another time. With someone precious. "I'll protect her from the darkness..." _

xxxx

His right hand clenched into a fist. "...I'm not going to die today!" he yelled, feeling a sudden burst of determination.

"**_Die,_**" demanded Shamshel; twin prongs along its serpentine body suddenly sprouted pink ribbons of deadly light. Like whips, they lashed forward.

Shogoki grabbed them both, growling as its hands sizzled from the contact.

"**_You first!_**"

xxxx

"**_Evil Touch!_**" A crimson and violet hand flew from the tip of Ozymandias's hooked staff, smashing into the hulking Shadow.

The corrupted Shadow brushed through it like it was a mere bug; every single footstep shook the ground, a localized earthquake that sent shockwaves through the nearby area.

"Aw crap," murmured Kensuke, his legs going wobbly from the chaotic motion. Even standing at the edge of the park was no defense-!

"**_Hang on, my fellow!_**" With a sudden yank - it honestly would have befitted a 'YOINK!' sound effect - Kensuke was hoisted onto one of Mister P's broad shoulders. The bizarre bird-man was as a mighty oak, standing strong amidst the mayhem. "**_Conquest is not our only path to victory; all we have to do is delay it!_**"

"Easy for you to say!" yelled Kensuke, watching as Gryphon flew about the Acolyte's Shadow. Thick arms swiped for the flying Persona, treating the windy fists as mere ant bites. Meanwhile, the Ocular Drones floated high above: a rainbow-colored audience to the spectacle. "With the way assets have been deployed today, I don't even know how quickly it'll take the A.T. Task Force to arrive..."

"**_And we shall hold it for as long as we need to!_**" The bird-man darted to the side, dodging a downward slap; the flying debris was batted away by Mister P's free fist, the brass knuckles holding strong against the ground. "**_Keep it up, little chickadee!_**"

_It would be easier if my Persona had anything other than debuffs and ailment skills!_ Even so, he did what he could. "Alright Oz, dazzle him!"

"**_Dazzler!_**" A flickering flash erupted from the shepherd's crook.

The Acolyte's Shadow stumbled, but only slightly.

And all the while, Kensuke kept a wary gaze at the surrounding air; the harshest movements of the distorted Shadow were scarring the cognitive realm in their wake, rendering swathes of the ground and air into blackened voids...

xxxx

"Quick, up the tree!" ordered Misato as she and Toji reached the edge of Panorama Park. She gave the boy a boost, before turning on her heel to fire her pistol at their pursuer.

The bullets' impact made Private Hanamura - no, he was just an Acolyte now, the man was practically _dead_ \- falter...but only slightly, as a deer would to a semi-truck. With a snarling grimace, he reared his fist for a deathly punch.

Misato barely rolled away in time to dodge the man's fist as it plunged into the bark of the cedar, as a spoon into gelatin. With a mere grunt, the Acolyte withdrew his hand, drawing out a large chunk of wood.

"Geez!" yelped Toji from above, as the tree wavered and threatened to fall.

"Eyes on me, jackass!" shouted Misato, darting away into the woods surrounding the park. Obedient to her taunt, the Acolyte moved with unerring grace, unfettered and undaunted. The A.T. Agent wove around various trees, trying to put as many obstacles in her path. The sound of various cedars cracking and falling over elicited a grumpy thought from her. _Acolytes are SUCH bullshit._ And she was _hardly _geared out for real world ops. _That's it, next time I deploy, I'm wearing my advanced kit!_

("Take care...my daughter...")

She had sworn to never feel this helpless again.

_CRACK!_

That sounded way too close for comfort. She chanced a look over her shoulder, scowling at how close the monstrous man was. _Damn it, I need more space-!_

There was a brief flicker of hesitation. A slight interruption in its dauntless chase. A sign of the battle in the Metaverse inhibiting it, no doubt. Not a lot...but enough.

With fluid motions born from years of practice and duty, Misato whipped out a handheld taser and _smashed _it under his ribs. At a setting of two hundred milliamps, the current would have been instantly lethal...to a normal human.

As it stood, the electrical current caused the Acolyte's muscles to lock up. It would only last for several seconds. If that.

She quickly began running again, trying to get some distance. Mere moments later, the sound of another cedar being toppled echoed through the woods behind her; the chase had begun anew. _Acolytes are such BULLSHIT!_

xxxx

The battle had gone...well, not according to plan. Not that Shinji had _had _much of a plan.

His Evangelion's vicious strikes had been blocked by shields of orange light, fashioned as concentric octagons. Physical blows, blasts of fire and ice, waves of force unleashed with bestial roars; none of them were able to breach the Angel's A.T. Field.

The Angel, meanwhile, retaliated with deceptively quick whips, lashing through un-material and non-reality like lightning. Shogoki dodged and parried as best as it could, batting them away with a sword made from his very soul; however, each nick and each strike seemed to deaden him further, killing him by degrees.

For some reason, it had yet to strike him personally. But why?

"**_A strange phenomenon, this creature._**"

Shamshel's whip wiggled like a snake, striking with equal swiftness; Shogoki barely batted it away with its lone horn.

"**_Bearing the soul and mind of a lilim, with a corporeal form._**"

The Angel seemed to look _at _him.

"**_What a curious existence, you Champions are._**"

And why did it insist on calling him a Champion?

With strange agility, the right whip pushed his Evangelion away, while the left suddenly zoomed _at _him-!

BOOM!

Shogoki had flashed in front of him, manifesting an orange shield of light as a protective wall. The motion felt strangely natural.

"**_The Light of thy Soul has _****weight****_ to it._**"

The energy whips lashed wildly, tearing apart the ground beneath their feet. Shinji and his Evangelion were pushed upward by a sudden burst of spiritual pressure, reducing any sense of direction. "AAH-!" screamed Shinji, his body threatening to fly off into the liquid un-reality-

"**_And yet you are so unfathomably limited._**"

A whip wrapped around his ankle, whipping him backwards towards the colossal Angel; the other smashed a free-floating chunk of ground into Shogoki, launching it further away. With unsettling gentleness, the Angel raised Shinji upwards, until he was on eye-level - albeit upside-down - with its avian mask. "Ugh..."

"**_You are undoubtedly weaker than the other two._**"

The whip coiled around his body, and its energy burned. "AGH!" he screamed; his very skin felt like it was on fire!

"**_Yet your presence is unmistakably heavier. Such is the Potential within._**"

Shinji dearly wished that he had a knife right now, and he wasn't quite sure why. Then the burning coil wrapped around him even _more_ tightly. "**AGH!**"

"**_Never shall it become Actual._**"

The deathly intent was undeniable, as the coil began to _squeeze_-

"**_Never are we apart!_**"

Shogoki's sudden appearance was outmatched only by the violence of his downward slash. "**_Cleave!_**" The spiritual blade sliced through the whip, releasing Shinji from Shamshel's clutches. An otherworldly shriek pierced the expanse around them, casting everything in a painful crimson glow.

"**_Wretched ant!_**"

"**_He and I are One!_**"

The undamaged whip lashed out, drilling towards Shinji; his Evangelion moved in front of him, blocking the blow with its body. The tendril pierced through Shogoki's torso, and existential _agony _tore through him, nothing akin to physical pain, but rather the utter despair of knowing life was at an end, made real. And yet...

"**_Thou art Nothing!_**"

...amidst the screaming demands in the back of his mind that he should retreat...

"**_Thou art Condemned!_**"

...amidst the shadow sensation of burning knifes tearing through his torso...

"**_Thou art Anathema!_**"

...he kept whispering to himself. "I mustn't run away...I mustn't run away..."

_The Beast sneered with furious pity for the Angel._

"**_Thou art naught but a victim._**"

"...I _mustn't run AWAY!_" Shinji's yellow eyes flared brightly, as Shogoki gripped onto the glowing arm of Shamshel with both hands, ignorant of the searing sensation on its palms. Both child and Evangelion screamed in unison, as the latter began to grow in size...

xxxx

Toji Suzuhara was _freaking out_. Amidst the thistles of the cedar, he had tried his damnedest to be still and quiet, even while the Acolyte's rampaging echoed from nearby. _Man...can that lady really hold him off? _She had to be an A.T. Agent. She _had _to; there was no other way she could have appeared out of nowhere like that in the middle of Panorama Park. Maybe...there was a chance...?

His eyes focused on movement from afar; the woman darted out of the woods and back into the open, beginning to sprint...

xxxx

In the Metaverse, the corrupted Shadow of Private Hanamura roared, slamming its fists into the ground. The cognitive world rippled from the impact, and more aspects of the surrounding park were torn into void.

"**_Hang tight!_**" warned Mister P, holding tightly to Kensuke Aida as he leapt backwards. With a thought from the boy, Ozymandias leapt atop Gryphon, using the flying Persona as a steed. "**_A truly rambunctious fiend, isn't it?_**"

"Yeah..." groused Kensuke. _Really starting to wish for reinforcements now...! _Was this really all he could do...?

xxxx

Misato Katsuragi _had _planned to finally get some horizontal distance between her and the Acolyte, to provide enough time to prepare her emergency sticky bomb: generally, it was the last-ditch measure for A.T. Agents without backup in the field.

Key word being 'had'.

Without warning, there was a disconnect between her mind and her body, as though her brain had decided to take a nap...or rather, had been plucked away like an annoying hair. She stumbled and fell, bewildered by the sudden loss of control. _Wha...?_

The most plausible explanation was also one that pretty much sealed her fate.

("Another reason why Angel Syndrome is such a big deal, Shinji-kun...because however it works, it scars the cognitive world in its wake," she explained. "You don't want to cross that threshold. Not while we're in the Metaverse." The woman's eyes were focused upon the threshold between thought and anti-thought, her expression veiled by her sunglasses. "...it's hard to think, in places where Angel Syndrome's run amok.")

_The Acolyte's Shadow._ The park's cognitive double must have looked like a mess, now. _Just my luck_, she nonchalantly thought, even while another part of her was practically screaming itself hoarse._ Come on you damn lush, MOVE YOUR LEGS!_

xxxx

Toji's eyes widened; for no apparent reason, the woman had just fallen down into a heap of limbs. "The hell...?"

Then, to his horror, the Acolyte emerged from the wounds, bearing down at his prey. "Aw _man_..." he muttered, trying to scramble out of the tree. "This sucks, this sucks, this freakin' _sucks...!_"

xxxx

Within the Angel's realm, Shogoki had swelled to a size equal to that of Shamshel: over twenty meters tall. Shinji stood upon his Evangelion's shoulder, glaring furiously with yellow eyes at the monster. With a pained growl, the purple titan ripped the ribbon of light out of its torso; Shinji nearly keeled over from the phantom sensations roiling thorugh his abdomen, and yet he did not falter.

"**_Thou shalt perish this day, childe of Lilith!_**" A barrier of orange octagons rushed forward to crush them.

With a snarling roar, Shinji and Shogoki answered with their own. The glowing fields of concentric shapes intermixed and weaved together, and their very essences interacted; Shinji felt as though he was witnessing something undeniably alien, yet familiar; bizarre, yet expectedly so...?

Shamshel, on the other hand, seemed to recoil, crying "**_thou art #$%&*?!_**" The last word, whatever it was, expressed a concept - nay, a reality - that Shinji could not comprehend; whatever it was, it shook the Angel to its core. "**_How...?_**_"_

Shinji reached within, binding himself with yet another facet: the seemingly diminutive cross of flower and doll known as Mandrake. "..._Lunge._"

Howling as a true beast, the Evangelion rushed forward. The realm around them rumbled, protesting the titan's movements with quaking water and flickering geometry. With its left hand, Shogoki ripped Shamshel's head upward; underneath the pink flap of rubbery skin was a glistening red jewel at the vertex of alien flesh. With its right hand, Shogoki grabbed the sphere, and began to _squeeze_.

With existential panic, the remnants of Shamshel's arms lashed wildly, whipping burning welts into the Evangelion's side. Shinji - screaming with anger, pain, _rage - _felt as though whole chunks were ripped away by the flailing ribbons, and yet his Evangelion refused to relinquish its grip...!

xxxx

Ozymandias actually _leapt_ off of Gryphon, smacking the Acolyte's Shadow in its masked face with the broad side of his shepherd's crook; it whirled around, delivering a backhanded strike with the grain flail in his other hand. The debased reflection of Private Hanamura reached up to grab the Persona, only for fists formed of wind to knock it off balance, courtesy of Gryphon.

"**_A risky maneuver!_**" said Mister P.

"Well, my Persona has a stick and a flail, so I can still _hit _things with it!" retorted Kensuke. _Even if I don't have any offensive skills, I still have my hands!_

xxxx

Misato expected to die. Even as she tried to command disobedient limbs to _move_, that very disassociation made her pending doom less...disagreeable.

Then, the Acolyte stumbled. Just a bit.

It was enough to allow for a thrown rock to smack it in the temple. "HEY!" The Acolyte, more irritated than pained, gazed at the source: a cocky-looking Toji, holding dirt-encrusted stones plucked from the ground. The slight quiver of his limbs betrayed his seeming bravado. "Why don't you take on a _man_, you punk?!"

_Stupid...idiotic...kid...!_ Was he _trying _to piss her off with this doomed attempt at playing the hero? She couldn't even muster the energy to _get_ angry amidst the mental fog, and _that_ paradoxically made her even madder. "...r..." Speaking was too troublesome; the will to even say a single word was titanic. "..._RUN_..._!_" she gasped, nearly collapsing from the exertion. _This sucks...this sucks...!_

The Acolyte moved, lips curled into a murderous snarl. The sudden deathly intent prompted the boy to to try and flee, only for him to trip over his own feet.

The utter anti-climax of her failed rescue attempt would have driven Misato to comedic tears if she had any to spare. _This freakin' SUCKS!_

xxxx

Shogoki's right hand continued to squeeze, its fingers digging like knives. The core of Shamshel slowly cracked and fissured.

The Angel was screaming with unearthly sounds, evoking no sensation of pain, or emotion, but pure intentionality: STOP. DESIST. CEASE. Pure commands of will.

Shinji ignored them.

_The Beast spoke for him._

"**_Your words mean nothing to me._**"

A decisive clench, and the core shattered.

The energy bound within erupted in a flash of crimson.

xxxx

The Acolyte's Shadow went still. So sudden was the halt in movement that Ozymandias actually leapt off, fearing a potential death blow.

"**_Oh...?_**" inquired Mister P, setting Kensuke down onto the ground. "**_I believe it's over._**"

"...are you sure?" inquired Kensuke. Further queries were halted by the fact that the bone mask upon the hulking Shadow's face began burning with azure fire, _sinking _into the cognitive being's body. "...well, _that's_ freaky."

_CRACK!_

Shattering bone, mixed with the breaking of glass; the Acolyte's Shadow dissolved into threads of black and red and orange.

**_CHYOOOM!_**

At that moment, in synchronicity with the giant cross of crimson light erupting from the nearby lake, the newly-formed dead zones - scars in the cognitive world - began to dissolve.

xxxx

The Acolyte - what was left of Private Noboru Hanamura - suddenly went slack, flopping onto the ground as a puppet without strings.

Misato Katsuragi blinked, feeling sudden clarity in her mind. "...well, that was a close one," she muttered, even as relief flooded her body. "You okay, Suzuhara?!" The boy - eyes wide with shock, adrenaline, and disbelief - responded by fainting on the spot. "Well...guess that counts as okay..."

**_CHYOOOM!_**

It was a thunderous sound, which accompanied the cross of light: everything within sight of the lake as doused in an unsettling crimson light. "The _hell_...?" she whispered, eyes wide with awe.

xxxx

The death of Shamshel echoed through matter and mind, through spirit and dreams.

xxxx

/The Cognitive Protection Center, Tokyo-3, the Metaverse/

The entire battle - from the moment Kensuke Aida's Persona had opened up with a **_Dormina _**against Noboru Hanamura's corrupted Shadow - had lasted less than fifteen minutes. The participants probably felt like it had been much longer than that. During that time, between coordinating with A.T. Agents in both the Metaverse and the Real World, Akechi had watched the boy and the mysterious Mister P battle the Acolyte's Shadow from afar. The urge to enter the field for himself was far outpaced by his fascination with how events had transpired.

The eruption of the cross of light from Lake Ashi, if nothing else, was great at grabbing his attention. _How...fascinating_, he thought, watching the footage of the bloody light coming from the Ocular Drones.

_The quiet stranger smiled. "__**What do you think?**__"_

_"...well, you weren't lying about the light show."_

_"__**A crude way of referring to the demise of an Angel.**__"_

_"Am I wrong?"_

_"__**I'm more interested in your opinion of the boy. Will it change, after this?**__"_

_"I will wait for the after-action reports before making any definitive judgments."_

_"__**A cautious approach.**__"_

_"And you would rather have me act foolishly, and change my opinion at the drop of the hat as the masses would?"_

_"__**Not at all. It's one of the many reasons I chose you.**__"_

Akechi leaned back in his chair, watching warily as the crimson cross faded away. _What will come of this, I wonder?_

xxxx

/Hakonesono Fujiashinoko Panorama Park, Near the Eastern Shores of Lake Ashi, the Metaverse/

Kensuke Aida stared at the crimson cross with wide eyes. "Whoa..." This was something new; as far as he was aware, this was a phenomenon never before documented by the A.T. Task Force. "...any idea what that's about, Mister P?" There was no answer. "Stunned into silence, eh?" Still no answer. "Hey-" He turned, only to pause at the sudden lack of tuxedo-clad bird-man; the bizarre man was gone. "...darn it, this is gonna become a _thing_, isn't it?" Sighing with irritation, he warily gazed around, only to catch the sight of three A.T. Agents approaching from the north, standing atop a cartoony version of a World War II-era Japanese battleship. _Well, that's an interesting Persona...wait, I'm gonna have to give an after-action report._ Just like an actual A.T. Agent would! "Sweet!"

"**_Be honest,_**" warned Ozymandias.

"I am! I wasn't going to embellish anything."

"**_Then be calm as well,_**" advised his Persona. "**_Like a professional would._**"

"...probably not gonna happen," he admitted, even as he bounced up and down on his heels.

xxxx

/Gendo Ikari's Office, NERV/

The Commander of NERV watched the long-distance footage in silence, meditating on what would come from such a stark display. _Only fools would deny the existence of Angels now._

He did not spare a thought for the current state of Shinji Ikari; he would find out later, regardless.

xxxx

/Russia/

As an Acolyte collapsed, and Zerogoki tore through a flurry of Ghosts, Rei Ayanami impulsively looked towards Japan. "...Ikari?"

The release of power and spirit felt wild, uncontrolled; the battle against the Angel must have been dire and desperate on Ikari's part. Compared to her battle against Sachiel, there must have been no room for finesse; the Angel _she_ had vanquished had already been critically wounded, reduced to hiding away within the shadow of a cognitive dead zone. _Are you safe, I wonder?_

"**_Shamshel has fallen. Further deliberation is necessary._**"

Just like that, the image of the crystal octahedron finally faded away from her sight, retreating to whatever realm the Angels hailed from. "...hmm."

_The Beast was wary._

_"__**What will come next?**__"_

_The voice of her other self - distinct yet intimately united with the Beast - was firmer in her response._

_"_**_The wheels of fate have begun to turn once more..._**_"_

"...I must finish my mission." Then, she would return to Japan and determine Ikari's status. Shifting into the cognitive world, she and her Persona Lilith struck at the nearest Acolytes with renewed intensity.

xxxx

/Greenland, the Metaverse/

The Second Child's Evangelion skidded to a screeching halt. "**_Die Hölle?_**" She gazed northward; little did she know that going in that direction along the globe would take her straight to Japan, past the Arctic Circle. "...what _was_ that?" she murmured, bewildered by the strange feeling emanating from afar.

"**_Bippity-boop-bop,_**" robotically chanted the gray twin.

"**_Fare thee well, monstrous maiden!_**" harshly roared the orange twin, its cheerful words out of place compared to the guttural, hateful tone.

The redhead glared back in the direction of the prancing giants that she had been pursuing for the past hour; they had faded out of existence, beyond her perception. "...damn it." Those taunting bastards had gotten away AGAIN!

_The Beast huffed._

_"__**There will be another time.**__"_

_Her other self - aloof yet bound to the Beast - spoke with determination._

_"__**We still have work to do, and people to save.**__"_

With a grimace, Asuka Langley-Sohryu willed Nigoki to turn back, as she prepared to blink back to Iceland. _It's not like I just up and left the Task Force in a bad situation, I had mopped up most of the Acolytes by the time I took off to pursue those monsters...so I should be fine._ Her attempts at reassuring herself were an utter failure; the head of NERV-03 would undoubtedly have _words _for her. _Damn it, Director Kirijo's gonna tear me a new one, I just know it..._

xxxx

/Room 23, 2nd floor, Izanagi Dorm, Hakone Academy/

At the moment of Shamshel's passing, Kaworu Nagisa sat up. "...that power..." He could not see towards Lake Ashi in the window, but the crimson ambience still bled through. "...that _power_."

It was unmistakable; the weight to that presence was not that of a pale imitation. _Shinji Ikari..._

"...patience." He quietly got out of his bunk bed, landing lightly on his feet. He sat down at his desk, looking over school work that needed to be done..._need_. What an overused word; there were few things that qualified as a necessity. This work was an honest trifle...but no. "Patience." He grabbed for the stress ball, intensely clutching it. "Patience." Squeeze. "You have time." Squeeze. "I can wait." Squeeze.

He could deal with the restrictions for the time being, until the time was right.

xxxx

As the world turned, the distorted skull - peering from the shadow of the Moon - focused its gaze inexorably on the islands of Japan.

"**_I SEE._**"

The red stars in its gaze narrowed to proverbial pinpricks.

"**_YOU HAVE CHOSEN TO REVEAL YOURSELF._**"

The decision was made.

"**_THEN WE SHALL OBLIGE._**"

His voice thundered across the ether, and his brethren listened in silence.

"**_FOR NOW, CONTINUE YOUR SUBJUGATION OF THE LILIM._**"

They would obey.

"**_THE PASSAGE OF FATE WILL CONVERGE TO OUR DESIGN, AT LAST._**"

And so the world continued to turn.

xxxx

/Eastern Shores of Lake Ashi, Tokyo-3/

The eruption of the cross of light coincided with Shinji Ikari and his Evangelion being thrown out of the lake. The beast of thought and spirit crashed first, slowly dissipating into nothingness.

Shinji, meanwhile, felt...empty, inside. This ran contrary to the feel of the sand on his body, akin to thumbtacks against bare skin. "...ow..." he groaned. _I feel so tired._ A nap sounded _really _good, right now.

"Shinji-kun?!"

The distant voice was familiar. _That sounds like Misato-san._ Rapid footsteps approached; maybe she wouldn't mind if he took a nap?

He fell asleep before he could think about it any further...

xxxx

_...and then his eyes blinked open. He was back in the Velvet Room, sitting in the same metal chair._

_"How delightful to see you again," cheerfully said Igor, staring at him from the stage with those perpetually bloodshot eyes. His assistant, Sokila, was fidgeting nervously besides him. "Forgive my rudeness, but I deemed it necessary to summon you here, given such a wonderful performance on your part."_

_"...a performance is not how I'd put it," grumbled Shinji._

_As the distinctive piano sounded, and a woman's lovely wail echoed, Igor said, "tell me, Mister Ikari; what do you think of the creature you faced? This Angel?"_

_Shinji thought of the giant beast, which had spoken of him with such condescension, as thought he didn't matter; as though humanity was only worth being crushed. "...scary. And yet..." Why did such a being hate them so? For what reason did they desire their destruction. "...I want to know why..."_

_"...so you found it scary too, huh...?" murmured Sokila, yellow eyes filled to the brim with anxiety. "...I'm glad you're safe..."_

_"Thank you, Sokila-chan," easily answered Shinji, with a light smile. "I'm glad to."_

_The girl responded with a beaming smile._

_"Against the Ghosts of mankind, you manifested your Evangelion: your very soul, influenced and empowered by your Persona!" said Igor, hands folded in a fashion that reminded him of his father; and yet, where Gendo Ikari evoked isolation and distance, Igor carried the air of a wise and paternal observer. "You turned those powers against the Angel, and triumphed...yet it was not a victory earned solely by yourself. The efforts and presence of other people contributed; even as the sole combatant against the Angel, you were not alone."_

_"...I guess so." He had only been in a position to fight the Ghosts - and then the Angel - because he had been in the Metaverse with Misato-san and Aida-san. In fact...wait a minute. "What about Suzuhara-san? Is he okay?" He had no idea what had happened after telling Toji to run._

_"The purple-haired lady and Kenny are just fine!" exclaimed Sokila. "So's the meanie," she added with a grumpy pout._

_"...meanie?" He blinked. "Are you referring to Suzuhara-san?"_

_"He's mean to you for no reason! I don't like him!" To accentuate her disdain, she crossed her arms and sat down on the stage with a huff. "Stupid Toji."_

_"Hey, he's not stupid," said Shinji, feeling a strange impulse to defend his roommate. "He's...just been dealing with some heavy stuff, I think."_

_"He's still a meanie!"_

_"Dear Sokila," interrupted Igor, smile still as wide as ever. "Would you please grab the Compendium?"_

_The girl's yellow eyes twinkled with glee, her anger about Suzuhara completely forgotten. "Ooh, that big book? I got it, Mr. Igor!" With a flurry of motion, the silver-haired girl took off running backstage, her blue blouse's sleeves billowing behind her._

_"...what's the Compendium?" asked Shinji._

_"The last time you visited, I advised you of your ability: that of the Wild Card. Now that you have obtained new Personas besides Hamlet, I shall provide a new means of growth: that of __**Fusion**__."_

_At that moment, Sokila past the velvety curtains, balancing a thick blue tome upon her head. "Almost there...!" With a gasp, she barely managed to slide it onto Igor's table. "...heavy..." she moaned._

_"The thoughts of humanity are practically infinite; some would say that it is a miracle that they can even fit in a single book!" gleefully said Igor, flipping the large grimoire open. Five cards, fashioned from light, floated upward. On one side were the images of Hamlet, Kinnara, Silky, Mandrake, and Cait Sith; on the other side was each Persona's respective Arcana. "A Fool, a Star, a Priestess, a Death, and a Magician; five Personas, representing five ways of thinking; five ways of facing the world." Threads of energy weaved from each card, intersecting at different points in the air: these threads coalesced into new cards, displaying the images of other creatures. "Two ways meet, and combine; even as they lose facets of what they once were, they become something more as a result. Just as thoughts can combine to form a new idea, so too can your Personas." Igor looked back at Shinji, bloodshot eyes evoking a sense of expectation. "That is one of my roles: to fuse existing Personas together, allowing a new one to emerge. Now...which powers will you forsake in order to gain new ones?"_

_Shinji blinked. "...what happens to the Personas?"_

_"Fear not; they are manifestations of the human heart, reflections of the myriad thoughts of humanity! Though they may depart, they are never truly lost; for as a child grows into an adult, he may shed his youthful ideas for mature philosophies, or he may grow those very same ideas into something profound. Even so, other children emerge, ensuring the continued existence of those tender ways of thinking! So long as humanity lives and thrives, Personas will never cease to be."_

_"...huh." That was actually kind of reassuring; given how vibrant the Archetypes had been the other day, it felt like a strange betrayal, to simply give them up. But...if they were fusing into something new, it was like they were still a part of him, right? "...well..." He gazed at the new cards, representing the potential forms that could be born from Fusion. "...um..." Wait. A remnant of a dream came to mind. "...how about that one?" He pointed at the being which would be born from Silky and Mandrake._

_Sokila suddenly gasped with excitement. "The snowman?!"_

_"Very well." With a wave Igor's hands, two slots opened up in the floor of the auditorium, revealing two pools of an orange, viscous liquid. The cards bearing the images of Silky and Mandrake fell, each one dropping into its own pool. The liquid glowed with an ethereal energy colored a pleasing shade of blue; another hole opened up in the floor between the two pools, revealing a tall glass tank. With the sound of a vacuum, both pools emptied, their contents being sucked into the cylindrical vessel; the azure glow within the orange liquid brightened, culminating in a great flash._

_In the back of his mind, Shinji felt two distinct essences merge into one._

_In that instant, the orange liquid morphed and contorted into a three-dimensional shape: that of a tiny anthropomorphic snowman, with blue boots, collar, and hat fashioned in a manner befitting a cheerful elf. "__**Hee-ho!**__" exclaimed the snowman, his collar jingling with yellow bells at the end of each petal. "__**I'm Jack Frost, ho! I can't wait to hee-help you, ho!**__" The glass tank opened up at the top; in a swirl of light, the tiny snowman transformed into a card, swirling in motion alongside those bearing the images of Hamlet, Kinnara, and Cait Sith._

_Sokila looked positively __**enraptured**__. "He's so cute!" she squealed, jumping up and down in place. "Now teach him how to breath __**fire!**__"_

_Shinji blinked at the sudden request. "...why, exactly?"_

_"Well...snow melts with hot stuff, right? If a snowman can breath fire, he must be strong enough to stay cold!" said Sokila with all the confidence of a child, sure of their ironclad logic. "That way, even in summer, the snowman will always stay!"_

_"...I guess?" Shinji wondered if such a thing was even possible; the very thought of a snowman breathing fire was just too weird._

_Igor chuckled knowingly. "Such a Persona may not learn that skill __**naturally**__...but as you grow, you may be surprised in what can be accomplished," he advised. "As you continue your journey, the powers I can grant shall increase...so do not stagnate, Mister Ikari: so long as you keep moving forward, I will be able to assist you even more!"_

_For all intents and purposes, it was practically a promise of assistance. "...thank you, Mister Igor."_

_xxxx  
_

And all the while, on a subconscious level, in words he had no way of knowing...a familiar voice spoke, within the depths of his being:

_I am _**_thou_**_, thou art I...  
Thou hast acquired a _**_new_**_ bond._

_It shall _**_lead_**_ thou to the truth  
that _**_parts_**_ the seas of depravity._

_Take hold of the __**Fool**__ Arcana,  
and let it _**_guide_**_ you  
to a new Promised Land..._

xxxx

_Igor calmly closed the Persona Compendium. "I believe it is time that you rest; you have had a very trying day."_

_"Aw, but he just got here!" complained Sokila._

_Shinji felt like saying he could stay for the young girl's sake, but the yawn which slipped past his lips ruined that idea. "...you know, sleep sounds good right now..."_

_"...well, bedtime is m'portant, I guess..." she grumbled, kicking the stage floor with her foot. "But come back to visit soon, okay?"_

_"...will...do..." murmured Shinji, nodding off as the Velvet Room faded away into a refreshing dreamlessness._

xxxx

**END OF 6/16/2015**

xxxx

Author's Note: And so Shinji actually defeats an Angel without blanking out in a berserk fury. Progress!

However, as we can see, he now has other people's _attention._

/also  
/I had randomly pulled the Designated Red Shirt's name out of a hat to be the Acolyte  
/and I thought Noboru Hanamura sounded sufficiently generic  
/and I completely forgot that was Yosuke's last name XD


	15. Wednesday - June 17, 2015

_"Mister Igor?"_

_"Yes, Sokila?"_

_"...will I ever be able to go outside?"_

_"And what would you do?"_

_She frowned. "...I dunno...hang out with Shinji, I guess...?"_

_"What would it accomplish, at this point?"_

_"...it'd make me feel better...your other 'Tendants were also able to leave, weren't they...?"_

_"The circumstances were different, as you well know. But do not be disheartened: a time will come, when your current existence will not be so limited."_

_"...kay..."_

xxxx

/Wednesday: June 17, 2015/

/NERV-03, Southern Outskirts of Darmstadt, Germany/

Mere miles to the west of the Rhine, NERV-03 sat to the south of Darmstadt, in a relatively isolated forest. Some would have considered it an odd location for NERV's Third Branch.

Alas, more typical locations such as Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Cologne, or any other number of larger cities were inhibited by a number of factors: the increased military presence in the cities, inconvenient competition from various NGOs in the fields of cognitive psience and metaphysical biology, the numerous dead zones in places stricken hard by Angel Syndrome in the past, and myriad other reasons.

Honestly, however, it had to do with the simplicity of converting an old GEHIRN facility into one fit for NERV's use. Thus, the question would have turned as to why _GEHIRN _had originally chosen this region to build its facility here, back in the latter years of the second millenium.

The biggest draw - besides its relative isolation - was the mental imprint of Frankenstein Castle, looming large in the cognitive world. Despite its gloom and stark character, it provided stability and mental security precisely because of its historical weight and the cultural impact of a certain novel. Little wonder, that GEHIRN's old facility had been built underneath the foundation of the castle, if cognitive psience had been the reason for its existence.

Alas, such historical exposition was not something that Asuka Langley-Sohryu worried about on a day-to-day basis. Beyond training, participating as a subject in NERV's various experiements, assisting the A.T. Task Force, the German military, and the United European Armed Forces in various Metaverse operations...she had very little in the way of free time.

Which was why the upcoming meeting with Director Kirijo was...not exactly one she was looking forward to. It had nothing to do with the fact that Mitsuru was stone-cold and could terrify anyone with a glance. Or with the fact that, despite being a woman in her late forties, the Director and her Persona were capable of schooling practically anyone in the training arena. Nope. Not at all.

She briefly gazed at the digital clock on the wall: 05:47 AM. _Still got over seventy minutes_. Maybe she could risk getting another half-hour of sleep? With her Evangelion, she could literally skip to the Director's office in the blink of an eye.

A gentle knock sounded on the door to her room. "_Asuka, it's almost time for the meeting with Director Kirijo,_" said the temperate voice of a young woman from outside.

"...seriously, Sister Mary?" she grumbled, refusing to move a single inch from her bed. "It's not until 7 AM!"

"_Well, knowing the time you tend to take getting ready, I felt it best to make sure you had sufficient time to freshen up._"

Asuka narrowed her blue eyes. "...this is all because I left you behind in Iceland, isn't it?"

"_Why Miss Sohryu, that would be utterly petty of me!_" Her voice sounded slightly too cheerful. "_After all, I am only following the commandments of my order when accompanying you onto the field of battle._"

"Yeah yeah," she grumbled. What a world she lived in, where religious and clergy had actual applications on the battlefield. _Like something out of a __**verdammt **__anime._ "Just give me five more minutes..."

Without ceremony, the nun opened the door, flicking the light on. "We both know that five minutes will translate into fifteen," lightly admonished the young woman, who appeared no older than twenty based on the condition of her face. Bearing a dark blue habit and a white hoodless scapular, the only signs of her order's militaristic nature were the outlines of body armor barely visible through the folds of her clothing. Brunette hair was almost completely hidden by her white veil, but her chaste and modest appearance did nothing to mitigate the delighted humor in her teal eyes, magnified by red-rimmed glasses. "If you'll hop into the shower, I'll go ahead and prepare a suitable outfit for your meeting with the Director."

"And knowing you, my room will also look spotless by the time I get out," growled Asuka, trying to ignore the layers of dust gathered in various places; she was rarely in this room as it was. "You seriously don't have to."

"Consider it a lesson in humility, Miss Sohryu," cheekily said Sister Mary Makinami, tertiary of the Third Order of St. Jeanne d'Arc. "Now, up and at em'! The day is short, and time's a-wasting!"

xxxx

/Director Kirijo's Office, NERV-03, Germany/

"A twist of fate."

The office of Director Mitsuru Kirijo was a strange creature: classical and affluent in design, yet bearing the effects of a martial mindset. White furniture with floral patterns and elegant tea sets would have clashed with the weapon racks along the wall, holding a variety of rapiers, fencing sabres, hunting rifles, and handguns; large canvas paintings of various rural and urban landscapes did not mesh with the flat-screen monitors displaying tactical maps and news feeds. In isolation, it would have seemed chaotic; however, it was all bound together into harmony by the will of its occupant.

Said occupant was facing away from Asuka, who was standing at attending on the other side of the Director's mahogany desk; Sister Mary Makinami was silently sitting in a distant chair, hands folded and eyes closed as if in prayer. As for the Director...if there was one word to describe her, it would be regal. A trim black business suit with a white blouse clung to her form with immaculate precision: not too tight, not too loose; not too revealing, or slovenly; long hair the color of red wine was wrapped into an elegant bun, with not a single lock out of place. The crimson sash wrapped around her waist added a touch of color. "A twist of fate was the only reason I lived during Second Impact." The Director's arms were crossed; a callused yet elegantly manicured finger tapped her elbow. "At my father's request, I was to travel overseas to inspect the European offices of the Kirijo Group, as preparation for attaining greater responsibilities in the company." A slight pause. "Because my private plane was in the air, I was spared the entirety of Second Impact's carnage. My father, his associate Eiichiro Takeba, our main office in Tokyo, the majority of our holdings throughout the world...were not so lucky." The finger kept tapping to some unknown rhythm. "I could have very easily perished that day. In this world, a twist of fate can be all that stands between life, and death...so tell me, Sohryu," she said, punctuating her word by turning on her heel. Her characteristic ribbon bow tie, colored a vibrant rose red, clashed with the stern glare of her right brown eye; the other was hidden by a curtain of hair, tapering down to her cheek. Only the slight wrinkles around her eyes betrayed the fact that was a middle-aged woman, and not someone in the prime of her life. "Why exactly would you take such a reckless gamble?" demanded Mitsuru Kirijo, Director of NERV's Third Branch.

"...it wasn't reck-" Asuka's retort was silenced by the slight pursing of Misuru's lips. "...okay, it kind of was reckless. But it's not like I left Iceland in bad shape..."

"That is the _only_ reason why you've not been subject to harsher discipline. The assigned A.T. Agents were rather upset at how suddenly you seemed to abandon the field of battle. Your otherwise sterling performance in the field may mollify potential detractors...but do not forget that in the eyes of the world, you are still a child."

Asuka couldn't help but snort at that. "That hasn't been true since the Valentine Treaty, and you know it."

"...a fair point," she admitted, with a knowing smile. "However, legal realities mean nothing in the face of stereotypes driven by biology and history. There are many who despise the power you wield; don't give them additional reasons to hate you."

"...yes ma'am," relinquished Asuka, swallowing her pride. Mitsuru Kirijo, despite her severity, was one of her staunchest defenders; no reason to burn that bridge unnecessarily. "I understand."

"Good. You will have remedial training with me this evening. I must ensure that your skills in the cognitive world are enough to mitigate any future incidents of _recklessness_."

"...do I have to?" complained Asuka. "I'm not in the mood to get thrashed by Artemisia today." A raised eyebrow was her only response, which was enough for Asuka to relent. "...understood, ma'am."

Director Kirijo nodded. "Good. Now..." she turned towards one of the flat-screen monitors along the wall; with a few swipes, she had changed the display to that of a still image. It depicted a crimson cross of light, taken from one of the skyscrapers in Tokyo-3. "Are you familiar with this image?"

"Can't say that I am," admitted Asuka, even though it did do funny things to her insides. She despised that feeling: one of slight nausea, localized to the back of her spine. "But it's certainly interesting."

"Yesterday, based on the classified reports that I've read, this was apparently tied to the death of one of these mythical _Angels_ that you and the First Child have constantly been talking about these past few years."

"...wait, _seriously_?" Asuka's attention had been grabbed. "Really? How do they know?"

"Given such an unusual phenomenon, it stands to reason that it is tied to something far beyond a mere Acolyte or Ghost. Furthermore, based on testimonies from those at the scene, the Acolyte perished in a manner similar to that of a separate Acolyte from the ninth of June...the same day that Ayanami claimed to have defeated an Angel within a cognitive dead zone."

Asuka remembered that report; there had been a bit of buzz about how - whatever the First had done - a mental void had just up and dissolved in a matter of seconds, which was something unheard of. "...that's just correlation though."

"Admittedly so. There won't be any confirmations of causality until the Third Child awakens; he's been unconscious since yesterday. However, two data points in such quick succession aren't something to ignore. Time will tell if Commander Ikari believes a more permanent reassignment is warranted."

Asuka hummed noncommittally, trying to burn the image of that bloody light into her brain. "...so, it was the Third who did it, huh?" She hadn't even heard of a Third Child being found until last week, when scuttlebutt about a rather explosive arrival into Tokyo-3 had made its way to Europe. "...only a newbie, and already making waves." A brief impulse of jealousy was overtaken by curiosity. "...I think I'd like to meet him, one day. See how close the rumors match reality."

"Perhaps that day will come sooner than you think," warned Director Kirijo. With a brief shift of stance and tone, she went into full 'imperial' mode. "There are reports of lingering Ghosts that emerged last night within our operational theater." Said theater comprising Europe, North Africa, and West Asia. "There are some hot spots that require our intervention. You will deploy within thirty minutes."

"Yes ma'am," acknowledged Asuka, not even bothering to protest the remedial training session taking place on the same day. Knowing Mitsuru, the fact it was scheduled for the evening - instead, of say, noon - would have been considered sufficiently merciful on her part. Turning on her heel, the Second Child turned towards Makinami. "Let's go, Sister Mary."

"Very well, Miss Sohryu."

All in all, it was just another day in the life of Asuka Langley-Sohryu.

xxxx

Shortly after Asuka and her attendant had departed, Director Mitsuru Kirijo sat down for a rather important meeting with Commander Ikari and the other directors of NERV's various branches. Sitting down at her desk, Mitsuru quietly poured herself some tea, quietly sipping as she waited for the conference call to begin.

As the clock rolled over to 8:00 AM local time, three video streams opened up on her monitor, showing the administrators of NERV's three main worldwide facilities. She subconsciously catalogued various details about the gentlemen in question, as well as the facilities in question.

NERV-02, located at the Metaverse Experimentation Facility on the outskirts of Area 51 in Nevada, local time of 11:00 PM; its research focus was on artificially reproducing the powers of Evangelion. The Director of the Second Branch calmly readjusted his slim eyeglasses, brushing a lock of long brown hair behind his ears. Clad in a gray turtleneck and a beige jacket, Shuji Ikutsuki bore a wan smile. "**I sincerely hope you have good information to share, Commander. It is quite late, after all**," he commented in a rather stilted manner. _Former consultant for numerous multinational firms and research universities, including the Kirijo Group. His network of informants and Top Secret security clearance within America's Department of Defense are why he managed to become the administrator of a location so close to Area 51. _For some reason, despite having nothing but a perfectly pleasant professional relationship with the man, he always came off as...unsettling. She wasn't quite sure why.

NERV-01, located near the MIT Campus on the outer edge of the Boston Dead Zone in the American state of Massachusetts, local time of 2:00 AM; its research focus was on fully cataloguing the various ways that cognitive and metaphysical changes could impact people in the real world, especially with regards to Evangelion applications. The Director of the First Branch tried to mask a heavy yawn, the light of his monitor reflecting off of his large eyeglasses. "**At least it's still ****_yesterday_**** for you, Director Ikutsuki**," tiredly remarked the relatively scruffy-looking man, his brown hair coming off like a messy mop instead of its usual slicked-back appearance. "**We're still going over the data from today's Acolyte and Ghost encounters along the East Coast...**" wearily said Dr. Takuto Maruki, his blue tie appearing just as haggard as he. _Former research assistant of Wakaba Isshiki. Pioneer of various medical applications for cognitive psience. Not exactly the most gifted of administrators, but his amiable personality and relationship with the research staff were deemed more important given the First Branch's specialties. _Despite occasional bouts of demeanor that she would call 'excessively casual', Mitsuru found him to be a relatively trustworthy individual.

Lastly. of course, was NERV HQ, located in Tokyo-3 along the Hakone caldera, local time of 3:00 PM; the face of Commander Gendo Ikari, gloved hands folded stoically in front of his face, rendered the man as an unmoving statue. The reflection of his orange shades rendered his expression impossible to measure as a result. "**Numerous UN and government officials have been requesting my presence since yesterday. Until the Third Child awakens, they've had to deal with our relative paucity of information.**" _Gendo Ikari: husband of the late metaphysical biologist Yui Ikari, and one of the administrative directors of NERV's predecessor GEHIRN. A very aloof yet domineering individual._ If Ikutsuki came of as unsettling, then Ikari was simply distasteful to interact with. After all, one could be professionally distant without being unpleasant about it. "**This meeting will be short, but it involves a matter of dire importance, as it pertains to the A.T. Task Force.** **This information is confidential, not to be repeated outside this call; however, I do expect that you act on it and seek appropriate countermeasures**."

Mitsuru quietly sipped her tea, briefly ruminating on NERV's reputation amongst various NGOs, government agencies, and paramilitary groups; '_Japan's stealth attempt at taking over the world_' was one of the more common ones. Given that the chief administrators of all four of NERV's main offices were of Japanese ethnicity, she couldn't exactly begrudge such an opinion, however unfounded it otherwise was. "Very well, Commander."

"**Based on testimony from the Chief Warden of Tokyo-3's Cognitive Protection Center, the Shadow of a law enforcement officer was absconded from its cell without any evidence of intrusion. Then, per A.T. agent Misato Katsuragi, that Shadow was then found in the location corresponding to its source's geographic location in the real world, near the eastern shores of Laki Ashi. It was at that point that the officer in question transformed into an Acolyte.**"

Mitsuru briefly parsed through Gendo Ikari's words, getting to the point in a matter of moments. "In other words...you suspect that the Angel, prior to its defeat at the hands of the Third Child, rendered the Cognitive Protection Center's defenses _worthless_."

"**An accurate summation,**" coolly said the Commander.

Whatever tiredness that Dr. Maruki had vanished in an instant. "**W-W-What? How can that be?**" he asked in disbelief. "**But that's impossible! The Cognitive Protection Centers were mentally formulated for the ****_sole_**** purpose of isolating Shadows from subversive influences in the Metaverse, and to keep them in locations not corresponding to any physical double in the real world; even ****_if_**** their corresponding human was afflicted with Angel Syndrome, it only resulted in the Shadow going berserk within its cell! All past occurrences of this type followed this pattern!**"

"**Then this is either an outlier, or the beginning of a new trend**," cautioned Ikutsuki.

Indeed; that had been one of the selling points of the Cognitive Protection Center model: to not only make judicial administration of the cognitive world a simpler task, but to ostensibly provide greater protection for Shadows. Up to this point, that had indeed been the case. "What could have caused such a change in tactics?"

"**We can only speculate,**" bluntly answered Ikari. "**There was no anticipating the possibility that an Angel could simply slip past the walls and barriers of constructs within the cognitive world, even one as robust as the Cognitive Protection Center.**"

"**...then...instead of keeping Shadows safe, we may have only made it easier for Angel Syndrome to afflict them...?**" muttered Maruki, looking positively distraught over this revelation.

_Given that Dr. Maruki was one of those who worked on the proof-of-concept for the Anti-Terror Task Force, it's only reasonable that he's so affected by this development, _thought Mitsuru. "Are we going to inform the appropriate officials?"

"**No,**" answered Ikari. "**Tokyo-3's detachment of A.T. agents have already been ****_informed_**** that the Shadow's abduction was due to a failing of their own systems, and the official reports will reflect that.**"

"**I see,**" calmly acknowledged Ikutsuki. "**I suppose operational security is not the only motive for this decision?**"

"**If it becomes public knowledge that the Cognitive Protection Center model has such a glaring weakness to the Angels, then there will be an unwarranted degree of panic. Furthermore, there will be some shortsighted officials who think that disposing of the model is necessary, even if it meant releasing untold Shadows back into the proverbial wilds, which would increase unpredictability and introduce unneeded chaos. However, we can utilize the methods at our disposal to prepare countermeasures in an orderly fashion.**"

"**...and if a similar incident should occur in the future...?**" asked Maruki.

"**Then we will do what we must to mitigate the potential consequences.**"

Short, brusque, and brutally to the point; such was the Commander's style, who had no apparent patience for even the simplest of niceties. "Was there anything else, sir?"

"**No. I** **expect to be apprised of any countermeasures you desire to implement. Ikari out.**" The man's image winked out, leaving the three Directors by themselves.

Ikutsuki sighed heavily. "**Well, I suppose I know what I'll get started on, tomorrow.**"

Maruki merely groaned heavily.

"**Ah Director Maruki, at least you don't have an upcoming appointment for a tire rotation on your vehicle,**" lightly said Ikutsuki with a slight grin. "**After all, you'd only be more ****_tired_**** than you already are!**"

Mitsuru resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "I believe that will do it for now gentlemen; you should get some sleep. _I_, on the other hand, have a long day ahead of me. Director Kirijo out." With those words, she ended her connection to the conference call. _Hmm...what a vexing development._ She sipped the last of her tea, which had since become lukewarm. _I'll need to make some calls and get out ahead of this._

xxxx

/Neo Hagakure, Outskirts of Hakone Academy/

Toji Suzuhara had been a bit of a fugue thus far today, complete with a forecast of mental fog and a side order of bewilderment. An understandable state of affairs, given the extent of yesterday's events. The debriefing conducted by local law enforcement and the A.T. Task Force had been...thorough. So much so, that he had possessed little energy to even go through the motions at school.

Ikari still hadn't woken up. Kensuke had been working at NERV since yesterday.

Nagisa had been less forthcoming than usual.

("My apologies, Toji-kun," said Kaworu Nagisa, a strange expression on his face. "The Boxing Club is meeting today...and I have some frustrations to work off, alas.")

He had never known the silver-haired boy to even acknowledge that frustration was a thing.

The Class Rep hadn't even gotten on his case at all today, which had been a small mercy.

("...Suzuhara-san, did something happen yesterday?" Hikari Horaki's stern expression was marred by an almost motherly concern. "...you can always talk to myself or the faculty if you need to.")

It was why he was sitting at small table at _Neo Hagakure_, idly nudging at his ramen with a pair of chopsticks. He couldn't even muster the focus to savor his food, which allowed the other patrons' various conversations to filter through.

"-there was a lot of commotion today over at Tojo & Sons. I actually saw police leading a guy out in handcuffs!"

"I'd heard a lot of rumors about that place from my older sister; she said it was someone called **Kuro Takehide**..."

"-that giant red cross was seriously scary-"

"For real?! It looked kinda cool...!"

"-did you hear about the Acolyte? Who was it...?"

"I think it's on the TV..."

Toji briefly glanced up at the television; it was showing an image of the man who had nearly killed him yesterday.

"**-the Anti-Terror Task Force confirmed that yesterday's most recent public victim of Angel Syndrome was Noboru Hanamura, a Private in Tokyo-3's Department of Community Safety. This comes as an especially heavy blow to local law enforcement, who had considered it a coup to land the latest scion of the lauded Hanamura family, going all the way back to the legendary exploits of Officers Yosuke and Chie Hanamura in the mid-20th century. Funeral arrangements will be handled by-**"

It was strange to consider, that that man - who had nearly killed him _several _times yesterday - would have people who would mourn him. It further drove home just how horrible Angel Syndrome was, afflicting anyone - good or bad - without rhyme or reason. _And I just happened to run into it twice in the last few months alone..._

Were it not for Misato Katsuragi, he'd be dead.

Hell, were it not for _Ikari_, he'd also be dead.

And all he could show for it was moping in front of a bowl of ramen. _Damn it, what the hell am I doing...?_ He was alive...but what did that really count for?

A hand suddenly dropped onto his table, placing a '2-for-1' coupon be his arm. Toji looked up with surprise; the hand belonged to a high school student at Hakone Academy, one with dark blue hair and eyes colored a cooler shade. "Mourning?" he inquired with a slightly raised eyebrow.

Toji blinked. "Er...how did you...?"

"I know the feeling," he muttered, with a heavy tone that said little, yet communicated so, _so_ very much. "Have a bowl for your friend." He then walked away, hands in his pockets.

Toji frowned, looking into the broth of his current bowl. It accurately described his own feelings right now: murky, and full of so many things.

_"Last one to finish has to buy for everyone!" With the challenge sounded out, the trio of Kenji Tomochika, Toji Suzuhara, and Kensuke Aida dug into their Hagakure Bowls, with the gusto typical of teenage boys._

But sitting around wasn't going to accomplish anything. If nothing else, despite the near-death experiences of yesterday, he had managed to finally give his condolences. _Rest in peace, Tomochika. For real, this time._ With that said, he finally dug into his ramen with vigor, feeling just a little bit more normal. But only just a bit.

xxxx

As Toji Suzuhara dug into his ramen, the blue-haired student silently walked down the rows of tables, heading towards the exit. However, he did briefly stop by another small table, this time occupied by a high schooler from Hakone Academy: a student with neatly cut silver hair, bearing eyes of stormy gray. Befitting such tempests, they focused with devastating intensity on one of the televisions portraying the story of Private Hanamura's demise; they were still going over the man's family history, showing aged black-and-white photographs of Noboru's great-grandparents: a man with loose spikes of hair and a woman with a rather distinctive pixie cut. "Narukami." With practiced nonchalance, he dropped another coupon onto the table, this time for a discount on the Beef Bowl Special. "The same offer applies to you."

"...you should follow your own advice, Arisato," he calmly replied, not taking his eyes off of the TV. "But thank you."

The blue-haired student quietly shrugged. "Already paid my respects a long time ago." With those words said, Arisato then put his headphones on, and proceeded to depart, acting as though he did not know the other young man at all.

By now, he had a lot of practice with acting at a distance...emotionally, or otherwise.

xxxx

/Asuka's Room, NERV-03, Southern Outskirts of Darmstadt, Germany/

Sister Mary Makinami smiled lightly as she applied a cooling balm to Asuka's left bicep; the girl was resting on her bed, tiredly sipping from a pack of apple juice. A minor guilty pleasure, all things considered. "Director Kirijo was as strict as ever?"

Asuka grimaced, trying not to show the pain she _obviously_ felt. "...that's putting it mildly."

"She is only concerned with making sure you're at the best you can possibly be."

"_Pfft._ She has only two speeds: zero, and _OW, WHY._"

"Pouting doesn't become you, _Princess_."

Blue eyes narrowed with practiced irritation. "...m'not a princess," she grumbled.

"Then don't act like one," answered Sister Mary with a cheerfully condescending smile. "Just imagine how bratty you'd be without me."

"...I'd probably have fewer headaches."

"You'd also have someone who likely wouldn't _'_get' you." A bit of silence from the younger girl prompted her to add, "as I seem to recall you complaining about _so very much_ not even three years ago-"

"Okay, okay! I get it, I get it." Asuka laid her right arm over her eyes, briefly giving off the air of a dramatically tired debutante. instead of what she truly was: a child soldier, exhausted from another day of mortal combat against the corrupted remnants of the dearly departed. "...wonder if there's ever going to be an end..."

The nun raised a neatly trimmed eyebrow. "And I remembered you always boasting about how great a warrior you are."

"...even warriors need a break," muttered the young girl. At times like this, she was truly grateful that the redhead possessed even a modicum of trust in her, to let even a hint of weakness show.

Of course, Sister Mary knew better than to voice this aloud. The girl's pride was a tricky beast to wrangle with, even with all the growth she'd had since awakening her Persona. "Shall I read you a story, Miss Sohryu? It's been a long day."

"...you know my favorite," murmured Asuka, slightly rolling over on her side to face the wall.

The nun quietly got up, going over to a large wardrobe; kneeling down, she opened the lowest drawer, revealing a proverbial treasure chest of mementos, in the form of books, pictures, certain toys, and various knickknacks. She grabbed a weather hardback book, bearing the title of _Dornröschen_: the fairy tale Sleeping Beauty, translated into German. Pulling up a small chair, Sister Mary opened up the book with practiced motions, and began to read. "**_Dornröschen_**, der Brüder Grimm...Vor Zeiten war ein König und eine Königin, die sprachen jeden Tag: 'Ach, wenn wir doch ein Kind hätten!' und kriegten immer keins. Da trug es sich zu, als die Königin einmal im Bade saß, daß ein Frosch aus dem Wasser ans Land kroch und zu ihr sprach: 'Dein Wunsch wird erfüllt werden, ehe ein Jahr vergeht, wirst du eine Tochter zur Welt bringen.' Was der Frosch gesagt hatte, das geschah, und die Königin gebar ein Mädchen, das war so schön, daß der König vor Freude sich nicht zu fassen wußte und ein großes Fest anstellte..."

She continued until Asuka's wearied breathing relaxed. Even then, she kept reading, if only to provide her ward a pleasant sound to sleep to.

She wondered what the young girl was dreaming of.

xxxx

Asuka dreamed about reading the story of _Sleeping Beauty_ to someone else.

For some reason, that always put her at peace, even if only subconsciously.

xxxx

**END OF 6/17/2015**

xxxx

/german translation of Sleeping Beauty  
/was pulled from here: germanstories . vcu . edu / grimm / dorn_dual .html


	16. Thursday - June 18, 2015

_Sokila bit her lip._

_"...your papa..."_

_She looked worried._

_"Why does he feel that way...?"_

_She sounded confused. Concerned? Or...anxious?_

_"...why wouldn't a papa like his son...?"_

_She stared at him with innocent curiosity._

_"Do you know why?"_

_The faint haze of blue began to brighten-_

xxxx

/Thursday: June 18, 2015/

/NERV, Tokyo-3/

There was a subtle _beep-beep_ that aroused Shinji Ikari from his slumber. _Where...?_ _What happened...?_

Beep-beep.

The sheets...the bed he was lying in...the tang of disinfectant in the air...it evoked the feeling of a hospital. _Why am I here...?_

Beep-beep.

Wait. The Angel...he had fought it...it had called itself Shamshel...

Beep-beep.

He had..._defeated_ it...and then...there had been the feeling of sand, the scent of lake water...and the strange impression of blue velvet...?

Beep-beep.

How long-?

"It's strange, how impulses work."

That voice. It was...

"For what reason, do certain ideas come to mind? For what reason do we act on them?"

_...father...?_

"A curious thought. I wonder if it's ever occurred to you."

Shinji finally mustered the will to open his eyes, regardless of how much _that_ by itself made him want to go back to sleep. Gendo Ikari was sitting beside his bed; with legs crossed and hands folded over his knee, the orange shades still hid all aspects of his expression, for his lips were set into the shape of stoic neutrality. The strange impression of his father observing an old carpet stain somehow came to mind, nonetheless. "...hn?" He tried to speak, but only managed a curious grunt.

"You faced an Angel." A mere statement of fact.

He managed a slight nod. He didn't trust himself to talk.

"I wonder..." He calmly extended a gloved hand, placing it besides his face. It was...an unusual gesture, for how gentle it was. It would have seemed..._affectionate_, coming from anyone else. That _his_ father was doing it made this entire scenario seem like something out of a dream.

Shinji wasn't complaining.

"Did you experience pain?"

Shinji briefly nodded, relishing the touch on his face, even if it was mitigated by the white glove.

"I see."

His father's hand slowly shifted to the top of his hand, lightly rubbing his hair.

"...good."

Without hesitation, Gendo's hand clenched _tight_.

"I hope it _hurt_."

Shinji's eyes shot wide open, as his father's hand began to twist with such violence; was he trying to rip his hair out-?!

"It must have gone _deep_. I want you to **_remember_** it."

Whatever he had endured against Shamshel, it rendered him unable to move his limbs or even resist. That by itself made the stark pain in his scalp even worse, as tears began to form in his eyes.

"**_Relish_** that pain. **_LIVE_** by it." The aloof serenity of the man's face didn't match the utter _spite_ in his voice. "And then perhaps you'll _understand._" With a harsh shove, Gendo pushed his head back onto the bed; the release allowed Shinji to gasp with relief, even as the agony lingered. His father calmly stood up, walking away as though nothing had just happened.

Confusion. Resentment. Frustration. Anger. All of those feelings and more were pushed away by an overarching need for _clarity_. "..._why_...?" he managed to croak out.

Gendo Ikari paused, not even turning back. "...why, you ask?" he said, with all the nonchalance of someone discussing the weather. "That you need to ask is proof enough that you would not understand." A brief pause. For dramatic effect? To gather his thoughts? Shinji had no way of knowing. "The day you understand _why_...I'll expect an apology. But I doubt I'll ever get one." And with those words, Gendo stepped beyond the doorway, leaving him behind.

Shinji managed enough energy to scowl.

_The Beast hissed and snarled; with white-hot rage, it __**shrieked**__._

That alone was too much. Devoured by exhaustion, Shinji closed his eyes, and blessedly lost consciousness.

xxxx

Beep-beep.

That same rhythmic sound of a heartbeat monitor roused Shinji from his slumber.

Beep-beep.

The strange and formless numbness that had gripped him also began to fade, as sensory perception returned.

Beep-beep.

"Good. You're finally awake."

Shinji turned his head, gazing at the individuals sitting beside his bed. "...Dr. Akagi...Aida-san...?"

The faux-blonde quietly wrote a few things down on a notepad. Kensuke Aida, clad in NERV's distinctive beige uniform, sighed with relief. "Man Ikari, it's about time you woke up! You gave us a scare."

"...what...what time is it...?"

"It is currently 8:21 AM, Thursday, the 18th of June. You've been out of it for over a day," answered Dr. Akagi. "And we have questions. But first..."

As the doctor trailed off, Kensuke reached into a satchel and pulled out a bottle of water and an egg sandwich in plastic wrap. "Not exactly gourmet, but I bet your stomach isn't gonna complain," he said with a knowing smile.

As Shinji's mind finally caught up with how _famished_ he felt, he hurriedly tore open the packaging, biting into the simple food and downing the water with ravenous motions. The utter savagery of his manners elicited a blush when he was finally finished. "...sorry."

"Eh, it's no big deal!"

Dr. Akagi quietly clicked her ballpoint pen, writing onto her notepad. "Okay, intern: now's your chance to shine. Start asking Ikari questions about what happened on June 16. I'll be grading you on how thorough your responses are."

"...you suck," groused Kensuke, who nonetheless tried adapting an air of professionalism as he whipped out his own notepad. "Okay Ikari: when we were patrolling the Metaverse with Misato Katsuragi, you suddenly jumped off the Ocular Drone used for transport and shifted out of the cognitive world. For what reason did you do this, and what happened afterwards? Go in order, if possible." A brief beat, as he clicked his pen. "Oh, and take your time!"

"Preferably not _too_ long," murmured Dr. Akagi.

"...okay." Shinji slowly gathered his thoughts, trying to recall the exact sequence of events from two days ago. "...I began to hear...a voice, of sorts..." And thus began the process of recollection.

Of how he heard a strange whisper in the depths of his soul, sounding eerily like Toji Suzuhara.

Of how, on an impulse, he leapt towards the shores of Lake Ashi from above, shifting into the real world.

Of how he had told Suzuhara to flee, while he faced the Ghosts.

Of how he utilized his different Personas via Shogoki.

Of how he and his Evangelion, upon vanquishing the last of the Ghosts, had suddenly been yanked into Lake Ashi by something...unknown.

Of how he had emerged into a strange and otherworldly place, coming face-to-face(?) with the Angel that called itself Shamshel.

Of how, after a heated battle in that otherworldly place, he and Shogoki had finally triumphed over Shamshel. Kensuke had a lot of follow-up questions for this particular part, with regards to techniques used, battle maneuvers, and the overall environment he had found himself in.

Of how, in a flash of light, he had suddenly erupted out of the strange void and onto the shores of Lake Ashi, before fading into unconsciousness.

Thoughts of a pleasantly blue room came to mind, but for some reason he felt that talking about it wouldn't have contributed anything to the conversation.

"...man, that's _something_," said Kensuke, having written down a few pages worth of notes during the hour-plus debrief. "...so Dr. Akagi, what's your verdict?"

"...adequate," admitted Ritsuko Akagi, having used easily a _dozen_ pages of her own notepad for notes.

"Oh, _adequate_ she says," grumbled the young intern.

"But I digress, the overall information is sufficient enough to collate it with the other after-action reports. I'll provide you a more detailed questionnaire to fill out later in writing...but I do have one particular question I'd like to ask now, Shinji Ikari." The woman's green eyes narrowed keenly onto his person. "In **three** words, how would you describe the Angel's attitude towards you, or to humanity in general?"

After having thought about the battle in detail for the past hour - of Shamshel's indifferent and cool disposition, juxtaposed paradoxically with its utter _disdain_ for his very existence - the words were easy to say. "Like we were nothing more than bugs to be crushed."

"A good description, but that's more than three words," she said with a sardonic smile.

"Oh. Sorry. Erm..." He tried to narrow it down. "Pests. Disgust...hatred." Narrowing it down like that made it seem more visceral, judging by Kensuke's rather worried look.

"...I see." Ritsuko Akagi sighed. "That'll do for now. You'll be free to go once you get a clean bill of health from Medical. Until then." Rising from her seat, the woman said, "come along Aida," before walking towards the door. Kensuke gave him a thumbs-up and mouthed 'Good job!' before rising to follow her.

"Um, Akagi-san?" The woman paused, glaning back over her shoulder. "...did...did my father visit earlier...?"

She arched an inquisitive eyebrow. "As far as I'm aware, no. His schedule is packed with meetings this morning."

"...oh...okay."

And then he was left alone.

Shinji quietly leaned back into his cot, raising a trembling hand to the top of his head; as much as he tried, he couldn't conjure anything other than a phantom pain of so stark a confrontation. _Did I imagine that? Was it...a nightmare?_ It had felt so real though...then again, his standards for what _was_ and _wasn't_ real had been decisively expanded as of late. _I just don't know..._

xxxx

/Gendo Ikari's Office, NERV/

A broken and spiteful man sat in the darkness, along with a broken and melancholy girl. In these shadows, they had listened quietly as Kensuke Aida had questioned Shinji Ikari. After a long period of silence on their part, it finally came to an end.

"**...man, that's ****_something_****...so Dr. Akagi, what's your verdict?**" The boy's voice echoed out through the computer speakers on Gendo's desk.

"**...adequate.**"

"**Oh, ****_adequate_**** she says.**"

"Do you believe he held anything back?" calmly asked Commander Ikari.

"I do not believe so. His experiences correlate with my own from when I destroyed Sachiel," replied Rei. "Further interrogation will not accomplish anything at this point."

"Very well. His recollections will suffice for our purposes regardless." The man was as a statue, his expression unreadable behind tented hands and his distinctive orange glasses. "Two Angels defeated in less than a month."

"His presence will draw them here," said Rei, stating it not as a prediction, but as a guarantee.

"Then they must also realize that something is different about him."

"I would not be surprised."

"And his..._roommate?_"

Rei paused, thinking of the odd, silver-haired boy with crimson eyes that also lived in Shinji Ikari's dorm room. "Despite all observations on my end, he has demonstrated no connection to them. Nor has he exhibited any Angelic influence, cognitive or otherwise, beyond his physical appearance." Which was the only reason why she had even allowed his presence at Hakone Academy, which would have been an intolerable risk otherwise. "For all intents and purposes, Nagisa is a simple, if decidedly odd, student."

"An interesting permutation."

"Yes." She did not need to be told twice. What she didn't say, however, was that it was...a unique one. _Why now?_ she thought. _Do the Angels suspect something already? _She had no way of knowing, currently. And that was concerning. Speaking of which, "beyond his introductory meeting, I don't believe Ikari-san has had any additional contact with _**him**_, either." There was no need for additional clarification. Such could be dangerous.

"**_He_** is irrelevant at this stage."

Rei narrowed her eyes. "That is a dangerous attitude to take."

"You and I know full well _why_."

"...yes," she relented. "My point still remains, sir."

"Then I suppose you'd best be careful then."

As they had spoken, the voices from Shinji's hospital room continued to filter through. "**...did...did my father visit earlier...?**"

"**As far as I'm aware, no. His schedule is packed with meetings this morning.**"

"**...oh...okay.**"

Rei raised a slim eyebrow. The Commander did not respond. "...did you?"

"Would the truth change anything?"

This, more than anything else, was why she despaired interacting with Gendo Ikari: his relationship with his son was, if nothing else...painfully complicated. "...I no longer ask much from you." Or _of_ him, frankly. They were both useful to each other, up to a particular point. "But why?" Such a simple question, laden with meaning.

"Because part of him still desires my love. Nothing more, and nothing less."

_...how cruel._ And pitiful.

It was at that precise moment, like a bomb going off, that her cell phone vibrated.

"Don't mind me. Pick it up," said Gendo, almost sounding like a challenge. "Put it on speaker."

Rei quietly withdrew her phone, which was still vibrating; she did not recognize the number. _Who could it be?_ she thought, not showing any sort of panic. What would happen, would happen. With a placid movement, she picked up the call. "Hello?"

"**_Anata no, terefon ni, Jika-netto Tanaka~! Mi-n-na no, yoku no tomo!_** "

"**It's truly your lucky day!**" exclaimed a boisterous, cocky man over the speakers. "**Because now you've unlocked the door to great deals and great prices with ****_Tanaka's Portable Commodities!_**"

"**_Granter of your desires~_**" cooed his backup chorus of female singers.

Rei decisively ended the call at once. All of the prior tension in the room had died with swift and brutal vengeance. "...my apologies sir."

To her everlasting shock, he calmly replied, "I would advise that you don't turn down a good deal without at least investigating it first." He calmly raised one of his hands, readjusting his distinctive shades. "It's where I got these in bulk."

Rei did not know whether he was serious or joking. That, more than anything else, flummoxed her beyond belief.

And apparently, that's all Gendo Ikari needed from her, as if this brief moment of confusion was a reward of some sort. "You're dismissed, Rei," said the Commander.

"...yes sir," she numbly said, slowly rising to leave the man's office. _What just happened?_ She turned his words over in her head, wondering if there was anything more to what he had said...or, if he had intentionally toyed with her paranoia for his own amusement.

Either one was likely.

xxxx

Shinji Ikari had waited patiently until a doctor and an attendant nurse had arrived to check his vitals and perform a relatively routine checkup. The doctor was a fairly professional-looking lady with short dark hair gathered into a ponytail, wearing NERV-issue medical garb; her biggest distinguishing feature was a tiny beauty mark below and to the left of her bottom lip. By contrast, the nurse assisting her - younger than the doctor, not even in her late twenties - had dark cyan hair in a shaggy bob cut, with a studded choker and web-patterned earrings adding a bit of color to her nurse's uniform.

"Well Ikari-kun, you seem to be in relatively good health...in spite of recent events," remarked Dr. Sayoko Uehara, a slight yet mysterious smile on her face. "What a shame, but it looks like you'll be leaving us today."

"...but...isn't that a good thing?" he said, blinking dumbly.

The nurse chuckled as she slowly began to detach the sensors relaying his vitals to the medical equipment. "You'll have to ignore her, Ikari-san. She tends to get attached to any patients that fall in her clutches," said Tae Takemi.

"Hmm...perhaps if Ikari-kun were to get routed to one of the clinical trials you assist with? I'm sure the local research hospitals are getting tired of all the late shifts you keep pulling," mischievously said Dr. Uehara.

_This_ somehow piqued the nurse's interest. "_Well_ then, I suppose if he were to become a guinea pig, he'd have to stick around~"

Shinji felt rather like a rabbit caught between a hawk and a fox that were arguing over how to divvy up their dinner. "...uh...?"

The two women finally laughed at his apparent discomfort. "Please forgive us, Ikari-kun. Some people on the medical staff apparently consider our bedside manner _unconventional,_" said Takemi.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Takemi-san," lightly remarked Dr. Uehara. "I can't help it if your professional demeanor is lacking."

The easy humor that that the two bandied about was honestly a little intimidating, but they at least apparently didn't intend to abduct him to some dark corner of NERV's medical ward. That was a positive, at least. "...so...am I good to go?"

"Yes, Ikari-san. Your bill will be one million yen," casually said the nurse.

His eyes went agog with shock. "_W-w-what?_"

"Don't worry, you're a NERV employee, so we'll charge the Commander's personal account."

Dr. Uehara lightly thwacked her younger assistant on the shoulder. "Ignore Takemi-san's price-gouging fantasies, you won't be charged anything. Medical care in our facilities are covered by your contract with NERV."

"...oh. Good?"

The nurse chuckled once more, in that strangely husky way that did odd things to his insides. "For some reason, I suspect this won't be the last time we see this young man, Dr. Uehara."

"Perhaps." The older doctor smiled knowingly. "Feel free to use me as a human shield if Takemi-san becomes too much for you."

"...okay?" Why would he need a human shield for a nurse?

It was after this strange bout of dual teasing that Shinji found himself walking out of NERV Headquarters, carrying a bag filled with a minor selection of general medical supplies - bandages, aspirin, antibiotic salves, pain-relieving balms - and a lollipop. Misato Katsuragi was apparently waiting for him, leaning against her blue Alpine Renault. "Misato?"

"Glad to see you up and about again," said the long-haired woman, a relieved smile on her face.

"...can I go back to the Academy dorms, now?"

The eyebrow that rose on Misato's face evoked the odd impression of a shark smelling blood in the water. "_Oh?_ Who authorized your release?"

"...Dr. Uehara and her assistant Tae Takemi?"

Her smile became _way_ too cheeky. "You poor little boy."

An embarrassed flush came to his face. "Misato...!"

"Don't worry, I won't tease you much. You've been through enough already."

xxxx

As the trek through Tokyo-3's lingering morning rush hour continued, Shinji found himself subject to Misato's piercing stare. "...uh...?"

"I read through the transcript of your debriefing with Ritsuko and Aida-kun," said the A.T. agent, her tone rather serious. "...you haven't even been in Tokyo-3 two weeks, and already you've encountered _two_ Angels."

Shinji knew she was referring to Shamshel. But the other...it must have had to do with that strange monster that had appeared on the train, back on June 6. If he focused just right, he would have realized that they shared the similar avian mask of bone.

"...for a while, I didn't know what to think, about what Ayanami and Asuka were saying about the creatures they caught glimpses of, during their missions. The idea that Angel Syndrome was caused by strange, inhuman monsters...it seemed too good to be true."

"...why?"

"Because that means there's a cause...no, an _enemy_. An enemy can be defeated...which means there may come a time when Angel Syndrome will be no more. No more Acolytes...no more Ghosts..." A small, sad smile adorned her beautiful face. "...it kind of seems like a dream."

Shinji didn't respond, because he _understood._ He didn't want this life to be all he had to look forward to: one of endless, eternal battle against angry spirits, corrupted Shadows, and otherworldly beasts.

The woman forced a cheerful grin onto her face. "But that just means there's no time for us to mope! If we stick to it, we'll see the light at the end of the tunnel. And I'll have your back, if you'll have mine, okay?"

"...okay," he answered, feeling a warm sensation in his chest. "I...I will."

And so it was that he was released at the edge of the grounds of Hakone Academy; Misato had explained that NERV had already notified the school about his late arrival due to mitigating circumstances. As such, yesterday's absence and today's tardiness would be excused...which was certainly nice, because Shinji didn't want to think about the amount of catching up he'd have to do. _Maybe Horaki-san will have some notes I can borrow...?_

That's when his cell phone suddenly buzzed. Blinking, he pulled it out; he had gotten a text from the Academy's official announcements feed, which - per explanations he had heard from various students since arriving in Tokyo-3 - could be used to transmit official announcements to the entire student body at once, or more targeted announcements to individual classes or singular students, depending on the need.

("Gimme your phone Ikari," remarked Kensuke Aida, during a study session in the dorm from last Friday. "I'm gonna show you how to change the priority settings for certain senders, cause otherwise all the 'official' school-wide announcements are gonna keep blowing up your phone." At his panicked response, Aida quickly assuaged him. "N-No, I don't mean _literally_ blow up, it's just a saying!")

He had appreciated it, honestly (because practically all of the school-wide texts repeated information he already knew)...but that meant this text was specifically for him.

**ACADEMY: Shinji Ikari, please report to the Principal's Office.**

_...what have I done now?_ he thought with a bewildered expression.

And that was how Shinji Ikari found himself sitting in a chair in front of the principal's desk, hoping his posture was sufficiently formal.

"Good morning, Ikari-kun," calmly remarked Principal Keel Lorenz. "How have you been?"

Shinji honestly didn't know how to answer the principal's question. Mostly because 'how have you been?' could refer to...well, _anything._ Was he referring to life at school? Life at NERV? Life in general? Without thinking about it much further, he replied, "I've been better."

"I see," replied the elderly man, who seemed surprisingly robust despite his frail appearance. Even with the wraparound visor imparting the image of someone with severe vision problems, the principal had a strange vitality to him. "In what ways _have_ you been better?" Maybe it had something to do with his full head of gray hair? It was rather thick for a man of his age. "An answer would be appreciated." Oh, had he been caught in a stare?

"...well..."

"You seem rather out of it. Does this happen often? Usually, students are utterly terrified to be in my presence." He briefly smirked. "And for good reason. I didn't get to where I am without a lot of blood, sweat, and tears; it'll be a dark and dreary day when I let silly shenanigans ruin the good name of this Academy." The words sounded practiced. "Now, with that little _spiel_ out of the way," he instantly adapted a more normal, less formal tone, "in all seriousness, are you okay?"

"...I'm not really sure." After the events of the Angel battle, how _could_ he be? Here we was, trying to go back to _school_; some part of him wondered about that strange absurdity of being told to maintain a regular school life _on top_ of battling mental and spiritual entities of horrible power. Then he pondered a life where he had nothing to look forward to _but_ battling, and recoiled at its utter repugnance.

The principal was observant enough to catch this cringing motion. "Well, if nothing else, you're at least more open than Ayanami-kun."

Shinji blinked. "...what about Ayanami?"

"There is a certain discretion we have been told to apply regarding her activities with NERV, same as yours. It's not unusual in this day and age, especially as children of A.T. agents are advancing through the school system...even _more_ so when it comes to those young enough to be students, yet capable enough of exercising certain powers within the cognitive world." He briefly paused. "Though, the usual tack that such students take is dropping out of classes should they became recruited into such enterprises. After all, most of them find such a life far more exciting than that of a school student."

"...exciting, huh?" That was certainly one way to put it. He couldn't fathom how anyone would want to give up any semblance of normalcy, no matter how 'exciting' things got.

"Now, as I was saying: Ayanami-kun has always been a taciturn sort. Even more so around me, for some strange reason." The principal sighed. "Believe it or not, I _do _want students to succeed in their endeavors, and have always advertised my willingness to assist. Alas, so many seem to avoid me, as if by instinct. It's the most bizarre phenomenon, honestly." The elderly man leaned forward, his hefty visor pressing against wrinkled skin as he smiled. "Perhaps _you_ might be able to assist me."

Shinji blinked. "Me?"

"Quite. I'm not entirely sure where my reputation as some sort of 'soul-devouring ghoul' came from," he said, snorting and muttering '_I have EARS, you silly children_' before continuing, "but if they see you interacting with me and coming out in one piece, I'm sure the rumor mill will take care of the rest. In return...I can provide advice. Wisdom. After all, I've been around the block more than a few times, and can remember life before this nasty business with Angel Syndrome came about. What say you?"

In all honesty, Shinji had no good reason to turn it down. He wasn't sure of the efficacy of the principal's plan - surely, he could pick a _better_ student for this sort of thing! - but wondered if it was his status as a transfer student that served as the deciding factor. It's not like he had any history here...and really, what was the harm? "Sure, I guess."

Keel Lorenz smiled. "Then we have a deal."

xxxx

And all the while, on a subconscious level, in words he had no way of knowing...a familiar voice spoke, within the depths of his being:

_I am __**thou**__, thou art I...  
Thou hast acquired a __**new**__ bond._

_It shall __**lead**__ thou to the truth  
that __**parts**__ the seas of depravity._

_Take hold of the _**_Tower_** _Arcana,  
and let it __**guide**__ you  
to a new Promised Land..._

xxxx

The principal leaned back in his chair. "Now, I believe I've delayed you for long enough...oh, and if you wouldn't mind, _do_ keep this little agreement of ours a secret?"

"A secret?"

"If students find out that you're trying to help my reputational issues because of a 'deal', then you'll get a reputation of a teacher's pet. Or perhaps a principal's pet, would be the more accurate term. I'd rather you not get such an unpleasant title attached to you."

"...okay." That was actually rather helpful advice. "...would it involve anything that NERV will want to know about?" Because honestly, he didn't know _what_ NERV would consider to be in its own interests or not.

"Of course not. I'm just a simple school principal."

Oh. Right. "Then...it'll be confidential," he said, repeating a word that he had heard _way_ too often since arriving in Tokyo-3.

The principal's smile widened just a bit, growing from one of stereotypical elderly warmth to one of joy. Or perhaps satisfaction. "Have a pleasant day; I look forward to seeing you again. You're dismissed; head back to classes, Ikari-kun."

"Yes sir." That had actually gone pretty well!

xxxx

The rest of the day had been relatively uneventful: Shinji had managed to make it in time for his fourth period class (which was with Hyuga-sensei's social studies class on Thursday), which meant he could enjoy lunch and the rest of the school day: various music and fine arts topics from Aoba-sensei in fifth period, and health education from Ooi-sensei in the sixth period. As Fuyutsuki-sensei finished the last homeroom period and Cleaning Time commenced, Shinji wondered about the certain distance between himself and most of the other students. It was hard to describe, but there was a strange separation; whereas before he had been the object of detached fascination as the 'new transfer student', there was now...wariness? Whispers?

What had happened?

"Man, gossip travels fast..." murmured Kensuke as he washed the window next to Shinji.

"Huh?"

"Well, I'm not exactly sure _what_ happened, because I was at NERV _all day_ yesterday," he griped, "but I've heard some students talking about you being near that giant cross of light at Lake Ashi from Tuesday."

"...really?" How had _that_ happened?

Kensuke shrugged. "Who knows. This may catapult you into the Ayanami Social Bracket. Trademark," he added as an afterthought.

"...hmm." He didn't quite know how to feel about that. People didn't really bother Ayanami-san that much...but did that mean he would become like her?

xxxx

_His Other was quiet._

_As was the Beast._

xxxx

He didn't know.

As he finished cleaning his particular window - wincing at the fact that he needed to use a stepladder to reach the highest corners, and _why_ did he still feel so sore? - Hikari Horaki approached both boys, holding two sheaves of paper. "I photocopied my notes from yesterday's classes and this morning's earlier periods, since you two were...occupied."

"_Bless you_," dramatically said Kensuke, with an equally dramatic bow.

"Thank you," simply said Shinji. He briefly glanced over at Ayanami, who was calmly cleaning one of the student desk. "...what about Ayanami-san? She was absent too, wasn't she?"

Hikari sighed, a somewhat disgruntled curl to her lips. "I tried when we first had classes together back in First Year. She always denies my assistance...but she always scores in the Top Ten, so it's not like she apparently needs my assistance."

"Well, your assistance is _always_ appreciated," groveled Kensuke.

"Okay Aida-san, there is such a thing as going _too _far," groused the Class Representative.

Shinji quietly looked around; now that he was thinking about it, he meant to check up on Toji Suzuhara, to see if he was okay. His roommate had been slated for sweeping the outside hallway today, so he wasn't exactly present...plus, the boy had been avoiding him for the most part today, occasionally looking his way with a strange expression...maybe he just wanted to be left alone, come to think of it. _I'll have a chance to talk with him later._

But first, today was Thursday. And that meant one thing, at least.

xxxx

/Literature Club, Junior High Branch, Hakone Academy/

That's right, extracurricular activity!

"Ikari-san," said Mayumi Yamagishi, a pleasantly tiny smile coming to her face. "I'm...I'm glad to see that you're safe. There were some odd rumors..."

"...thank you, Yamagishi-san. I'm...fine." 'Fine.' What a strange way of summarizing exactly how he felt about things.

(His sensei asked him about how his day at school had gone. When he responded that everything was 'fine', the older man looked at him with a suspicious glance. "You _do _realize that saying you're 'fine' like that only means the opposite, right?" He didn't quite follow.)

But it was all he could offer. And apparently, the other students reading books within their respective corners were okay with that.

"Well...that's good." As if that were all, the bespectacled girl returned to her own novel.

And so Shinji returned to his laborious task of reading _The Tragedy of Hamlet._ At long last, it appeared he would learn about who exactly the strange ghost was that had been bothering Bernardo, Marcellus, Horatio, ad Hamlet, and boy wasn't _that_ a timely thought in light of...well, everything.

Then the ghost began talking, and his mood dimmed. "I am your father's spirit," he whispered, "doomed for a certain term to walk the night...and...confined in the day...to fast in fire? Until the foul crimes done in my days of...nature? Are burnt and purged away...but I am forbidden...to tell the secrets of my prison-house..." He continued reading on, grimacing at the tale of betrayal spun by the ghost of Hamlet's father, the late King, apparently murdered by Hamlet's uncle Claudius. The accusations about Queen Gertrude were...odd, yet pointed. However, even as he tried to ponder everything that the ghost was saying, he couldn't help but think about his own situation: what if someone had killed his father? Would he be driven to vengeance for Gendo Ikari's sake? For that matter, would his father even care enough to come back from the dead to request vengeance on his behalf?

The very thought seemed absurd...and he didn't know how to feel about that.

In the corner of his vision, he saw Yamagishi rise from her recliner, placing the book _Kokoro_ back on one of the bookshelves. As she went to sit back down, he couldn't help but ask, "are you finished?"

The long-haired girl actually startled at the question, shocked by the question being asked. "Oh! Um...well...yes." She slowly selected a beanbag chair several feet away from his own, sitting down with her legs curled to the side. Brushing at her skirt, Yamagishi said, "whenever I finish a book...I like to spend the rest of my time thinking about it before starting a new one. To...meditate on it, I suppose."

"...what was it about?"

The girl blinked, apparently unused to other people asking her about her reading materials. A curious glance from some of the other club members only solidified the fact that an antisocial norm was being violated. Yet, she still found it in herself to continue. "It's the tale of a young man trying to find his own way in early 20th century Japan, and his relationship with an older man he calls Sensei. It's...a look at how changing times can often leave people behind, and how sometimes...one's actions can put you in a place of isolation...and how one's guilt can render it almost impossible to move on..." She flushed, her head shrinking in a manner evoking a tortoise. "Um, I don't want to spoil it...you know, in case you want to read it later..."

Shinji wordlessly nodded, mentally making a note to _not_ read it: reading about someone else's struggles with isolation and guilt didn't sound like his idea of a good time. "...what do you think about it?"

"...um...it's kind of sad...a little depressing...but kind of cathartic, I guess..." She huffed; if he didn't know any better, she sounded frustrated. He had no clue why. "I suppose...I kind of..._identify_ with the main characters, in a certain way..." Yamagishi's smile now carried a hint of sadness, slight like the tiny smudges of fingerprints found on glasses at the end of the day. "...but that's not really worth talking about. The book itself is more important."

Shinji blinked, a concerned frown coming to his face. "...why do you say that?"

"Hmm?"

"Well...it was a book written by a person, right? And without other people to read it, that person's ideas wouldn't go anywhere...um..." _What in the world am I babbling about?!_ "...well...I guess what I'm trying to say is...people are more important than books. So...that applies to you too," he finished, trying hard not to focus on how _intimate_ those words sounded. _Aida-san must never find out...or Misato-san._ He had a pretty good idea of just _how_ they would react.

The bespectacled girl blinked dumbly at his words, a strange little blush coming to her face. Finally, she loosed a nervous giggle. "...I'm not sure I agree with you...but I think what you said is sweet. Thank you, Ikari-san." Idly brushing at one of her long strands of dark hair, she added, "maybe for the rest of the period, I can help you with any questions you have while reading _Hamlet._ Does...that sound okay...?"

"Sure," Shinji immediately answered, because _GODS_ this translation of Shakespeare was proving to be a difficult beast to tackle.

Yamagishi's smile increased, becoming just a bit brighter. "Okay then."

xxxx

And all the while, on a subconscious level, in words he had no way of knowing...a familiar voice spoke, within the depths of his being:

_I am __**thou**__, thou art I...  
Thou hast acquired a __**new**__ bond._

_It shall __**lead**__ thou to the truth  
that __**parts**__ the seas of depravity._

_Take hold of the _**_Hermit_** _Arcana,  
and let it __**guide**__ you  
to a new Promised Land..._

xxxx

And so the rest of the Literature Club's time passed in relative peace.

xxxx

/Room 23, 2nd Floor, Izanagi Dorm, Hakone Academy/

"Welcome back, Shinji-kun."

Kaworu Nagisa's friendly words greeted Shinji as he walked back into the dorm, holding a warm bowl of soba noodles. "Good evening, Nagisa-san, Aida-san, Suzuhara-san." All three boys were at their respective desks, working on their own studies; the silver-haired boy had turned around in his chair, a strangely intense look in his red eyes. "...Nagisa-san?"

"Just ensuring that you're in one piece. I haven't seen you since Monday, after all." Nagisa's lips quirked into a joyous smile. "I had heard a great deal about the cross of light during the new moon. Quite a scary event, don't you think?"

"...I wouldn't know. I didn't see it when it had happened," he truthfully said, because he had been unconscious after the Angel battle. The news photos he had gotten glimpses of after the fact had said plenty, though. Speaking of which! "Suzuhara-san..." The last he had seen of the boy on Tuesday had been when he had told him to flee. "...are you okay?"

"...m'fine," muttered the boy, who couldn't muster the energy - or will - to turn around and face him.

_...I guess he's still upset with me._

"Eh, don't be bothered by him Ikari; Toji's still surly because he nearly died to an Acolyte." Kensuke shot a boastful grin in his best friend's direction. "You're _welcome_, by the way."

"Look Ken, just cause you're one of those guys with strange mind powers doesn't mean you can keep rubbing it in my face!"

"If it makes you stop moping, then I'll keep on rubbing whatever I've got!"

"Damn it Ken, I'm _serious!_"

Their back and forth caused Kaworu to sigh dramatically. "Their innuendo honestly gets tiresome, Shinji-kun. And they're so _blatant_ about it..."

Those words _instantly_ caused the comedic duo to cease their arguing, as they slowly stared incredulously in the pale boy's direction. "...are you for real?" growled Toji. "Like, _seriously?_"

"You are in _no_ position to throw shade when it comes to innuendo, Nagisa-kun," said Kensuke with an irritated grimace.

Nagisa ran a hand through his silvery hair, which somehow caused _sparkles_ to go flying. Shinji would have suspected glitter, if those sparkles didn't actually fade from existence a mere instant later. "Everyone keeps saying that, but I honestly have no idea what you're talking about."

_...or maybe they're just being weird?_ thought Shinji. Shrugging helplessly, he sat down at his own desk, breaking out the copies of Horaki-san's notes and his own textbooks. Contentedly slipping at his own soba noodles, he threw himself into his homework.

It allowed him to put lingering questions about his father out of his mind, at least for a little while.

xxxx

/?, On the Outskirts of Tokyo-1/

Officially, the dead zone that was the blasted ruins of the greater Tokyo Metropolitan Area was off-limits to civilians.

Unofficially...well, there were certain benefits to setting up shop in the vicinity, depending on what you wanted to do.

Within one such 'shop' (well, an underground facility, to be honest), a man - leaning back in a weathered office chair, eyes observing myriad monitors - was speaking into his cell phone. "I know you've provided quite a bit of information to us over the years, but are you _sure_ about this? You make it sound like your boss is in a foul mood..." He let the other party answer; he briefly glanced at one of the monitors, which showed archived video of a double-bladed axe cutting through Archetypes in the Metaverse. "...I suppose so. A revelation like that would make _anyone_ antsy. It only solidifies our need to have _alternative_ means of combating Angel Syndrome. That being said, rumors have been _flying_ ever since the Third Child arrived in Tokyo-3...and that light show two days ago didn't help at all." Another monitor showed a rather elaborate-looking shield affixed to a large, turbine-shaped device; a scraggly-looking fellow in prison fatigues was being affixed to the turbine by three men in hazmat suits. When the device was activated, the man pointedly did not look away from what has happening. "Yes...yes, I agree. Their growing influence has been rather concerning to certain individuals within the Defense Ministry and the UN. It's why the JSSDF has been so cooperative with our...endeavor." He frowned with distaste at the image of the scraggly man - now appearing absolutely lifeless despite the lack of visible injuries - being dragged away from the device; a necessary sacrifice, like so many others. "It would be interesting to see what exactly makes the Third Child so different from his two predecessors...I suppose, if all else fails, we can use Kirishima as a honeypot...yes, I know it's vulgar, but that kind of power needs to remain in Japan's hands, no matter what. There are too many unsavory actors on the world stage that would literally _kill_ to have the Third Child under their thumb...and unfortunately, if what you say is true, the government's trust in NERV will reach unprecedented lows. It's honestly a shame." He paused, letting the other party speak. "...no, there's no need to worry about betrayal. If the kill switches aren't enough of a deterrent, there's also the fact that we have her two brothers in the wings to take her place should she become...unruly. She'd rather die before letting them into her role...mm-hmm. Mm-hmm...yes, it's all unpleasant. But that's the way of this world. If children must be devoured to ensure our survival..." He calmly scrolled over an open folder on his personal computer, which detailed a number of top-secret files held within his own secure on-site server, marked under the username **Tokita_S_NHCI**. Two files were open underneath that folder, which was simply titled **JET ALONE**.

One file was labelled **PROJECT LABRYS. **The other was labelled **PROJECT AIGIS**. "...then devour we shall." He loosed a sigh of honest remorse. "The hell of it is, it's not like anyone gives an honest damn about orphans these days. At least this way, they'll serve a purpose...yes...yes, you're preaching to the choir on that one. I'll make sure she understands that cooperation is the simplest path for everyone involved. And if anything unusual is observed from her deployment, I'll make sure it gets forwarded to you. Your own research is important, after all...very well, I'll leave you to it. Goodbye." With those words, Shiro Tokita hung up.

He sat quietly for a few minutes, pinching the bridge of his nose out of distress and frustration; after that, he got back to work.

After all, there was - quite literally - no rest for the wicked.

xxxx

**END OF 6/18/2015**

xxxx

/well  
/that was an eventful day


	17. Friday - June 19, 2015

_Sokila had a little frown on her lips._

_"...hmm..."_

_Her toes were wiggling with anxiety._

_"...hmm..."_

_Her feet began kicking back and forth._

_"...HMM..."_

_Finally, she leapt up, looking at him with a childish intensity._

_"I want you to come play with me soon!"_

_The faint haze of blue began to brighten-_

xxxx

/Friday: June 19, 2015/

/Courtyards, Hakone Academy/

Shinji Ikari had grabbed breakfast at a small cafe on the outskirts of the Academy; now, he found himself amongst the many streams of students making their way to the main academic complex.

As he walked along, he couldn't help but overhear a boy and a girl gossiping rather loudly in front of him.

"Ugh, I wish we had the entire week off during the new moon..."

"Let me guess, you're threatening to slack off again?"

"Can you blame me? Classes suck..."

"Maybe if you took up the **tutoring** sessions that some of the high-schoolers offer, you wouldn't be in your current mess."

"Ugh, don't remind me..."

"Come on, I keep trying to invite you! I'm trying to help."

"So I can watch you fangirl in person? No thanks."

"...well, come on, I can't help it! It's _Narukami-senpai~_"

"Aw, here we go again..."

_Hmm...tutoring, huh? _With everything he'd be involved with in terms of NERV and the Metaverse, he could use any advantage he'd get to help him stay ahead of the curve. _Maybe I'll look into that later..._

xxxx

/Class 2-A, Junior High Branch, Hakone Academy/

Third period rolled right along, as the science teacher - Koji Takao - elaborated on his lesson. "Man, strange stuff always happens during the new moon, it seems!" His bald head, pronounced black beard and goatee, and gruffly boisterous voice didn't give off the image of an astute scientists...nor did the old-fashioned ship captain's uniform he wore, fit for something out of the 19th century. "That giant cross of light was so incredibly red...I can only imagine the type of material that could have made it that color! Given that we've just finished talking about how light is both a photon _and_ a wave, maybe we should give a little baby intro to spectroscopy!" He scanned the classroom. "Hey, Ikari-kun!"

"Yes sir?!" exclaimed Shinji.

"Why do you think that big ol' cross was such a vibrant red color?"

"...um..." _Come on, I JUST read about this last night!_

"Going once, going twice..."

"Um...! It's...because it absorbs all other light _except_ red...?"

Takao-sensei grinned widely. "Good answer! Yes: although the physics are _way_ too complicated for _this_ grade, the long and short of it is that depending on the material - and the light source itself, of course - different colors will reflect off of it in the visible spectrum of light!"

Shinji resisted the urge to slump in his seat. _Whew..._

"Makes me wonder about where that light came from...maybe it was something with a bunch of strontrium. Or rhodochrosite! Or, you know, _blood_, but that's a boring and stereotypical answer." Takao-sensei huffed. "But speaking of something that's _not_ boring..."

And so classes continued.

xxxx

"...did I do something wrong to Suzuhara-san...?"

Shinji's question prompted Kensuke Aida to stop sipping his miso soup. The ambience of chattering students was omnipresent, but subtle enough for them to speak quietly and still be heard. "...whaddya mean?"

He briefly glanced at the other side of the classroom; Suzuhara was calmly eating among a small group of more athletic students, not really participating in whatever their animated conversation was about. "It's just...I know that he's been sore with me because of everything with Tomochika..." _Wow, way to talk so casually about someone who's dead_, he vehemently thought to himself.

"You know, I've kinda been trying to catalogue your facial expressions-"

"Wait, what? _Why?_"

Kensuke continued on as thought he hadn't been interrupted. "-and I've noticed there are points where you look irritated with yourself. You're doing that right now."

"...sorry...?"

"Not sure what you're apologizing for, but go on!"

"...um...well...even after that...he seems to be looking at me differently now." He wasn't quite sure how to describe it. He almost wanted to say fear...but why would Suzuhara be afraid of _him?_ Then again, there was the whole monstrosity of soul and mind that was Evangelion...was that it? Was that _really_ it? "...I didn't want it to get like this..."

Kensuke eyed him keenly. "Well, being the resident expert on Toji Suzuhara, I honestly think he needs to get over himself. But just telling him that will tick him off, you'll get apologetic, that'll only make him _more_ annoyed...truly, a vicious cycle."

"...you don't have to make it sound like that-"

"_However_, I think I have an idea of how to get him to stop giving you the cold shoulder!" Heartily gulping down the last of his soup, Kensuke promptly stared him _straight_ into the eyes. Like, uncomfortably so. "Tell me, Ikari: have you joined an athletic club yet?"

Shinji blinked, having not expected that answer. "...was I supposed to?"

"Just answer the question!"

"No...?"

Kensuke smiled _wickedly_. "Good. So, here's what you'll do..."

After the boy finished his explanation, Shinji was justifiably skeptical. "...I don't know if that'll work..."

"Oh come on, it's foolproof! Have I ever steered you wrong?"

"..."

"...you don't have to answer that question."

xxxx

"...the hell are _you_ doing here?" asked Toji Suzuhara, staring rather pointedly at what was surely a very unlikely sight: Shinji Ikari, in a track suit, where the track team was practicing outside.

_There's no way this is going to work_, thought Shinji, morose at what a waste of time this was turning out to be. _Why do I keep listening to Aida-san?_

Fortunately, the other boy besides him didn't seem to notice how sullen he was. "Oh come on Suzuhara, it ain't a bad thing for more people to join up!" exclaimed the boisterous head of the track team, slapping Shinji just a _bit_ too hard along the upper back. "The little transfer student should be applauded! Having the guts to join the track team, knowing all the rumors?"

_...wait, rumors?_

"Hell," continued the brash boy, "if only more people had balls like that!"

"That's sexist, captain!" yelled a short-haired girl as she ran past them, amidst a gaggle of co-ed student-athletes as they did laps around the track.

"No it's not! I use it for everyone!" he yelled back.

_Seriously, what rumors?_ "...um..."

"Don't think he knows what you're talking about, Cap'," muttered Toji, face scrunched up into a mulish expression.

"Aw, nonsense, _everyone_ knows how grueling our practices are! There's no way anyone's _that_ ignorant!"

_...um._ Shinji felt like correcting the head of the track team, because apparently he _was_ that ignorant. _Maybe I should pay attention to gossip more...?_ But then, everyone always complained about gossip, so why bother paying attention to it?! _Argh..._

"Anyhow, you seem like you know the kid. He in your class, Suzuhara?"

Toji huffed out of resignation. "He's actually one of my roommates at the dorm."

"Well that's _fantastic!_ You've got the honor of putting the newbie through the paces. But don't you _dare_ go easy on him!" With a flashy grin, the captain sprinted off towards the rest of the track team, eager to perform whatever drills he had in mind. At that point, Shinji and Toji were alone, staring each other down under the glow of a setting sun.

The awkwardness quickly reached unbearable levels. "...uh-"

"Did Ken put you up to this?"

"...yes."

Toji snorted. "Figured." He inhaled. Exhaled. Inhaled. Exhaled. Very, _very_ loudly. "...look, I know you don't want to do this. If you wanna leave, then go. I'll make up an excuse for the Captain. You don't have to join the track team just because Ken tried to rope you into one of his harebrained schemes." The boy turned on his heel, showing him his back in a manner just _slightly_ less evocative than yelling at him to get lost. "So get out of here."

"...but..." Shinji's right hand twitched.

xxxx

_Another place. Another time. Familiar...in a sad and impotent sense._

_A fist had driven him to the ground, born of anger._

_He spoke back with words of frustration, but couldn't bear to look into the face of his attacker...or rather, he lacked the courage to do so; it was easy to say words, when you didn't have to look into the face of those who heard you._

_With reborn irritation, he was pulled back up by the scruff of his shirt collar, only to be punched down once more..._

xxxx

His right hand curled into a fist. "...but...I think I _wanted_ to come here."

Toji glanced over his shoulder, an odd look on his face. "Eh?"

_I...mustn't run away._ "...I'm not going to run away..."

"...are you trying to pull my leg? You're at the track team. We're _literally_ all about running!"

"...oh. Um..." Shinji so _very_ dearly wished he could crawl into a convenient hole right now. "...it's...a figure...of speech?"

The taller boy looked _entirely _unconvinced. "...whatever. Just...if you're actually gonna stick around, then follow me." With those words said, Suzuhara took off jogging.

Blinking out of confusion, Shinji defaulted to following Suzuhara's 'order', and took off after him.

xxxx

As Toji Suzuhara kept a brisk pace, he resisted the urge to look back at the kid following him. He could hear his roommate's footsteps behind him, so it made his decision easier to justify.

Because, quite frankly...he didn't know _what_ the hell to think.

Was it unfair of him to lump so much grief on Ikari for simply transferring in after Tomochika's death? To be honest...yeah. If he had to be upfront about it, he could admit that to himself. Probably not to anyone _else_, but himself? Sure.

But it had made it easier to deal with all the crap that had been churning inside of him.

Then there had been the most recent new moon.

(That morning, before classes had begun, Ken walked towards him with the most _severe_ stink eye in the history of ever. "I'm still tired after being at NERV for two days...so I'll just say this." He lightly bonked him on the head. "What you did was stupid. And after _my_ recent lapses of judgment, I've become a bit of an expert on what counts as stupid." He bonked him on the head again. "Don't do it again." And then Ken promptly sat down at his desk, leaving Toji to blink dumbly.)

Which...well, for however many times Ken could get on his nerves, he had had a point.

But at the time, the utter need to _grieve_ had dominated everything else...including his sense of self-preservation.

Which led to why he was currently trying his damnedest to stay away from Ikari, because _the kid had popped out of the friggin' sky without warning!_ And...the look in his _eye_...

(Resignation had given way to fear, as Ikari had landed between him and the Ghosts. Then, he had spawned some strange purple demon...and then _that_ look of piercing yellow. "Get out of here," growled the beast wearing the skin of a young boy.)

...yeah, not exactly something he had fond memories of. Ikari had looked...well, _terrifying_.

And why the hell had the other footsteps stopped? "Hm?" Slowing to a controlled stop, Toji looked back over his shoulder, only to blink dumbly: the newbie had collapsed into a boneless heap along the side of the track. "...you serious?" And now there was this! How the hell was he supposed to square such a monstrous figure with a kid so lacking in cardiovascular stamina?! "...you _are_ serious." It didn't make any sense.

"...I've...never...really...sprinted...before..." gasped Ikari, his hair already slick with sweat.

"Clearly," grumbled Toji, lacking any heat in his voie. Even if it didn't make any sense...it made him seem lesser. Smaller. More...human. "...you're kind of supposed to pace yourself."

"...I'll...do...that..." Slowly rising to his feet, Shinji Ikari trying to look determined. The unsteady legs put the lie to that.

"...whatever. Let's keep going." Trepidation and unease had given way to morbid curiosity. _What the hell are you trying to prove?_

xxxx

Not even an hour later, Toji had a frustrated grimace on his face. "Seriously, what the _hell_ were you trying to prove?" he growled, carrying Shinji Ikari in a fireman's carry across his shoulders.

"...s'ry," murmured an embarrassed Shinji.

"Bad enough you pulled a total rookie move of running so long you literally can't move your legs, but the fact I now have to friggin' _carry_ you back to the dorm?!"

"...sorry."

This was only going to start more rumors. He just knew it. _Well...in for a yen._ "You didn't answer my question. Why follow whatever scheme Ken cooked up?"

"...had...to...try...couldn't...run...away..."

"...you don't make any sense." The kid could pull a freaking monster out of himself. If he wanted to, he could probably kill him without even thinking about it. So why bother with something as basic as the _track _team? "Why?"

"...zzz..."

"...and of course he falls to sleep." Typical. _His legs are gonna feel like hell tomorrow._ "...I really don't get you at all," he said aloud to himself.

Ikari was still sleeping by the time he got back to Room 23 of the Izanagi Dorms.

Kensuke raised a panicked eyebrow. "Did you two get into a fight?!"

"No, there was no fighting at all."

Kaworu Nagisa happily clasped his hands together. "I'm so _happy_ for you two!"

"Damn it, it ain't like that either!" With a grumpy grunt, he slowly dropped Ikari onto his bunk; such was his exhaustion that the boy didn't even budge. "He just tuckered himself out running."

"...wait, he _actually_ joined the Track Club?" exclaimed Kensuke, looking honestly perplexed.

"Well yeah, the way he talked, it was _your_ idea."

"I thought he would waffle and turn it down at the last second! I mean, it's not like I haven't given him more than enough reasons to question _my_ ideas!"

"Then why the hell would you suggest it?!"

"I don't know, I was just tired of the two of you being mopey and crap!"

"And your idea was to have him join the _track team?_ This ain't a sports anime, you idiot!"

"Come on Toji, I honestly didn't think he would take me up on the offer, I had like _five_ better plans in the wings!"

"Well too bad, because now the Cap's not going to let a track newbie out of his clutches, _especially_ one with stamina as crappy as his."

"...you know, I _would_ make a joke about 'who needs stamina when you can fight like an A.T. Agent,' but his stamina _could_ use some work if only one practice reduced him to _this_."

Toji snorted. "Nah, that was just him being an idiot and literally running himself into the ground. Besides, it's not like _you've_ ever tried out for the track team, so who the hell are _you_ to judge?"

Kensuke cheekily grinned. "An intern with NERV, _that's_ who!"

The back-and-forth elicited a cheerful smile from Nagisa. "Ah, it feels so wondrous to have this level of energy in the dorm again~"

And all the while, Shinji snored away, blissfully ignorant of everything.

xxxx

**END OF 6/19/2020**

xxxx

/so Shinji's knowledge has grown to Rank 2 (from So-So to Studied)  
/and he has reached one of the best parts of any Persona game  
/the part where the Protagonist has free reign to pursue his social activities  
/until the Plot inevitably rears its head again  
/which gives the added benefit of some short Slice of Life chapters for a while


End file.
